Mayor Bowser: Release the Footage in the Killing of Julian Bailey

Mayor Muriel Bowser

Julian Bailey was killed by U.S. Marshals on a public street in Washington, DC. Months later, his family is still being denied access to footage and records connected to his killing after MPD denied their FOIA request in its entirety.

Families should not have to beg the government for information about how their loved ones were killed. The public deserves transparency when law enforcement and federal agencies use deadly force in our communities.

This is about accountability and whether government agencies can kill someone in broad daylight and then hide the evidence from the people most impacted. Secrecy protects systems, not families.

If agencies are allowed to withhold footage and reports in cases involving loss of life, it sends a dangerous message that state violence can happen without public scrutiny, transparency, or accountability.

To: Mayor Muriel Bowser
From: [Your Name]

Dear Mayor Bowser,

We are demanding that your administration immediately release the footage and records connected to the killing of Julian Bailey.

On February 11, 2026, Julian Bailey was killed by U.S. Marshals on a public street in Washington, DC. Months later, his family is still being denied access to the CCTV footage, police reports, and investigative records connected to his killing after MPD denied their FOIA request in its entirety.

Families should not have to fight the government for basic information about how and why their loved ones were killed. The public deserves transparency when law enforcement and federal agencies use deadly force in our communities.

Your office has the authority to decide whether these records will continue to be hidden from Julian Bailey’s family and the public.

We are calling on your administration to:

Release the CCTV footage connected to the killing of Julian Bailey
Release the police and investigative reports related to the shooting
Stop withholding public records from Julian Bailey’s family and the public
Stop shielding agencies from public accountability in cases involving loss of life

The people of Washington, DC deserve answers. Julian Bailey’s family deserves the truth.