Suicide in Custody

⏱ 2 min read

A 31-year-old Australian national died by suicide while in police custody in Washington DC on October 15, 2025. The man, identified as P.M., was arrested on a misdemeanor sexual assault charge and was being held at the 5th District police station. He used his shirt to create a noose and hang himself from the cell door. Officers discovered his body and attempted to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful.

The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, including security camera footage, body-worn camera footage, and forensic reports. Despite the investigation, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove that the officers willfully violated P.M.’s rights.

The US Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. In this case, the evidence was not sufficient to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against the two officers involved.

The outcome of the investigation has raised questions about the handling of the incident and the measures in place to prevent such tragedies in the future. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division also conducted a review of the incident, but the results of that investigation have not been made public.