Judge orders National Guard shooting suspect to be force-fed amid monthslong hunger strike

August 31, 2026 / 2:26 PM EDT / CBS News

A federal judge ordered the man accused of fatally shooting a National Guard member and severely injuring another in Washington, D.C., last year to be force-fed and receive medical treatment following a monthslong refusal to eat and sometimes drink water while in government custody.

In a court order dated Saturday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ordered Rahmanullah Lakanwal to be forcibly fed to "preserve" his life "or prevent a foreseeable deterioration in his condition that if not treated is likely to lead to death."

Lakanwal, the judge ordered, is subject to the treatment "until adequate oral intake of food and liquid and adequate acceptance of medical treatment is achieved and defendant's life is no longer threatened."

In court filings last month, the Justice Department said Lakanwal was moved to a D.C. hospital on July 9 on an "emergency basis" to receive "medical treatment necessary to preserve his life" after he had refused to eat starting in June as he awaits trial.

Mehta's order will remain in effect until Oct. 28.

Lakanwal — an Afghan national who received humanitarian parole to enter the U.S. in 2021 — is accused of killing…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/healthwatch/