A group of Black women say they caught Metropolitan Police officers and federal agents breaking into and searching their car without a warrant, fueling mounting tensions over the growing federal law enforcement presence in the nation’s capital.
According to social media accounts, the women confronted the officers after noticing them inside their parked vehicle.
Instead of explaining, the officers reportedly walked around the car, peeking in and out while refusing to answer questions.
“When the women approached them, asking why they would go into a car no one was in without a warrant, the officers just walked around the car peeking in and out quietly with no explanation,” wrote public figure John-Wesley Walker in a Facebook post that has since drawn widespread attention.
The confrontation reportedly escalated when officers became aggressive toward the group of women.
Federal Presence in D.C. Sparks Outrage
The incident comes amid heightened controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize the D.C. police force, deploying agents from the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other federal agencies to assist in policing the city.
A week before the recent incident, CNN reported that residents grew outraged over a law enforcement checkpoint along D.C.’s busy 14th Street corridor.
Officers stopped multiple vehicles, handcuffed at least one person, and drew sharp criticism from onlookers who accused the officers of harassment.
While police described the checkpoint as “routine,” community members disputed that characterization, saying such tactics had never been used in the area before. Many questioned whether the federal intervention has increased safety or simply inflamed tensions.
Calls for Accountability
Civil rights advocates argue that if true, the allegations of officers breaking into vehicles without warrants represent a serious violation of constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Critics have also warned that the federal takeover of local policing risks eroding public trust, particularly in Black communities that already face disproportionate surveillance and police encounters.
The Metropolitan Police Department has not publicly commented on the claims, and it remains unclear whether an internal review will be launched.
For now, the viral account adds to a growing chorus of Washington residents demanding transparency, accountability, and the end of federal policing tactics in their neighborhoods.
Others, however, see the recent law enforcement activities in D.C. as a sign of worse things to come.
“How to boost ‘arrest’ numbers? Break into unoccupied cars and plant drugs/weapons. Wait for the car owner to return,” someone wrote on social media about the latest incident.
