The development came after Washington, D.C.'s attorney general filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.

After a judge threatened to block an order federalizing Washington’s police, the Justice Department issued a new directive leaving the city’s police chief in charge, for now.

The White House says Attorney General Pam Bondi is effectively in charge of Washington D.C.’s police department.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back on the order, saying "there is no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official."

Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a new order Friday giving control of Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department back to Chief Pamela Smith, but would still require the city to answer to the Trump administration for the time being.

Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman resigned Friday after 12 weeks of leave. Several lawsuits filed against IPD during his tenure remain.

Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an order Thursday that amounted to a reversal of "sanctuary" policies in D.C. The District sued over the order Friday.

D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith faces social media mockery after appearing confused by reporter's question about chain of command following Trump's federalization of department.