A veteran D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sergeant has alleged in a lawsuit that the department systematically misclassified homicides as accidents or unknown causes to artificially lower the city’s crime statistics. Carlos Bundy, a 28-year MPD officer and former member of the homicide unit, claims this manipulation of crime data poses serious risks to public safety and trust.
Bundy filed the suit against MPD and the District of Columbia in 2021. According to court records, the case is scheduled for mediation in 2026. Bundy asserts that while working in both the homicide unit and later the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, he repeatedly witnessed deliberate efforts by superiors to misreport violent deaths.
Bundy’s lawsuit cites specific cases, including a 2019 homicide involving a suspect who struck a man with a brick. Despite autopsy findings, motive, surveillance footage, and cell phone data placing the suspect at the scene, MPD labeled the death an “accident.” The suspect was never charged. In a 2020 case, a man beaten to death was classified as having died from “undetermined” causes, despite an autopsy declaring homicide as the cause of death. Similarly, a 2021 case involving a deceased woman with “obvious foul play signs” was marked as a “death of unknown cause.”
“These mischaracteristics are dangerous,” the lawsuit states, emphasizing that residents and businesses rely on accurate crime data when making decisions about where to live or operate. Bundy also claimed that his repeated internal disclosures of the misclassifications were ignored.
The revelations come as President Donald Trump has federalized the D.C. police force and deployed National Guard troops to restore order in the nation’s capital. The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into allegations that the city’s crime data was deliberately altered. In May, a top MPD commander was placed on leave over accusations of falsifying official crime reports.
Secretary of Justice John Ratcliffe warned of further federal oversight if cities attempt to conceal rising crime. “Falsifying data to mislead the public and dodge accountability is unacceptable in a constitutional republic,” he said during a press briefing.
