Judge Rules Justice Department Can Force-Feed Defendant in National Guard Shooting
The order lets Bureau of Prisons staff use a feeding tube, intravenous nutrition or an existing tube after Lakanwal refused meals for months.
- The Aug. 29 order from District Court Judge Amit Mehta authorized the Bureau to perform nonconsensual feeding on defendant Rahmanullah Lakanwal. The order allows medical staff to use nasal or intravenous methods to maintain his health.
- Lakanwal faces 17 charges, including first-degree murder in the shooting of 20-year-old Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and an Air Force Staff Sgt. on Thanksgiving eve last year near the White House.
- Appearing gaunt and using a wheelchair during hearings, Lakanwal has refused food for months. Mehta authorized the Bureau to intervene "to preserve defendant Rahmanullah Lakanwal's life" through tube and intravenous feeding.
- This judicial order remains effective until Oct. 28, allowing The Department of Justice to request extensions if Lakanwal continues refusing meals. Lakanwal entered the United States under a humanitarian program following the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
- Mehta, nominated by President Barack Obama, previously denied similar requests from the Trump administration. The judge noted Lakanwal's consistent refusal of meals and medical treatment before granting this specific authorization for nonconsensual nutrition.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Iowa Capital Dispatch
Judge rules Justice Department can force-feed defendant in National Guard shooting
WASHINGTON — A federal judge over the weekend allowed the Trump administration to force-feed the man charged with shooting two National Guard members, killing one and injuring another, in the District of Columbia in November. For months, Rahmanullah Lakanwal has refused to eat while incarcerated. The Aug. 29 order from U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta […]
Judge rules Justice Department can force-feed defendant in National Guard shooting - Now Georgia
Judge rules Justice Department can force-feed defendant in National Guard shooting WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — A federal judge over the weekend allowed the Trump administration to force-feed the man charged with shooting two National Guard members, killing one and injuring another, in the District of Columbia in November. For months, Rahmanullah Lakanwal has refused to eat whil…
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