By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned two law enforcement officials in Washington who had been convicted within the 2020 homicide of a 20-year-old Black man named Karon Hylton-Brown, the White Home mentioned.
In September 2024, Terence Sutton Jr was sentenced to 66 months in jail whereas Andrew Zabavsky was sentenced to 48 months in jail over “an unauthorized police pursuit that led to a collision on Oct. 23, 2020, that brought about the loss of life of Karon Hylton-Brown, 20, in Northwest Washington D.C.,” the Justice Division mentioned final yr. The officers remained free pending the outcomes of their appeals.
The Metropolitan Police Division mentioned Sutton, in his early 40s, and Zabavsky, in his mid-50s, had been on “indefinite suspension with out pay, pending our administration course of.”
Sutton was discovered responsible by a unanimous federal jury in late 2022, after a nine-week trial, of second-degree homicide, conspiracy to impede, and obstruction of justice. The identical jury discovered Zabavsky responsible of conspiracy to impede and obstruction of justice.
The jury had discovered that Sutton brought about Hylton-Brown’s loss of life by driving a police car in “acutely aware disregard” for an excessive danger of loss of life or severe bodily harm to Hylton-Brown.
It additionally discovered that Sutton and Zabavsky conspired to cover from officers the circumstances of the site visitors crash resulting in Hylton-Brown’s loss of life.
The DC Police Union had sought a pardon for the 2 officers.
Sutton’s legal professional, Kellen Dwyer, mentioned in a press release cited by CNN that whereas he and his shopper had been “assured that the D.C. Circuit would have reversed this conviction, we’re thrilled that President Trump ended this prosecution as soon as and for all.” Zabavsky’s legal professional, Christopher Zampogna, additionally thanked Trump.
Hylton-Brown’s mom, Karen Hylton, instructed CNN earlier than the announcement that she was shocked and cried when she discovered of the potential pardons.
The incident occurred months after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for a number of minutes. That homicide led to protests in opposition to police brutality and racial inequality within the U.S. and world wide.
After taking workplace on Monday, Trump pardoned about 1,500 of his supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol 4 years in the past on Jan. 6, 2021. Amongst these pardoned had been some who assaulted law enforcement officials.
The Fraternal Order of Police, the biggest police union within the U.S. that endorsed Trump within the 2024 election, and the Worldwide Affiliation of Chiefs of Police mentioned in a joint assertion they had been “deeply discouraged” by these pardons.
