The highly unusual remarks from U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman came after the chief said publicly last week that “there was no cover-up” in the case.
Authorities have pledged swift action in response to a string of attacks on Tesla dealerships, charging stations and vandalism to vehicles around the country.
The pursuit ultimately spanned D.C., Md. and Va. before ending 10 miles from the liquor store where an off-duty police officer first spotted three masked men.
Darius Young’s killing ended a stretch of 16 days without a homicide in D.C., the longest in at least six years the city has gone without deadly violence.
Prosecutors said the group’s purported leader obtained pandemic relief loans through the Small Business Association and used the money to buy bulk narcotics.