Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Two police officers convicted in the death of a man riding a moped in Washington, DC, have been pardoned by President Donald Trump, the White House announced Wednesday.
Former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lt. Andrew Zabavsky, 56, who was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, was convicted in September of the 2020 death of Karon Hylton-Brown. Another ex-officer of the MPD, Terence Sutton Jr., 40, was also convicted and sentenced in the case.
In a statement, the White House said Trump granted Zabavsky and Sutton full and unconditional pardons.
On Tuesday, the D.C. Police Union said it was working with the Trump administration to secure clemency for Zabavsky and Sutton. That same day, Trump said he approved the pardons for both men.
TRUMP FORGIVES ALMOST ALL OF JANUARY. 6 REQUESTED ON THE DAY OF THE OPENING
President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Tuesday in Washington. On Wednesday, Trump pardoned two former Washington, D.C., police officers convicted in the death of a man killed during a deadly pursuit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
“I just passed it,” Trump said during a news conference. “They arrested the two officers to put them in jail for going after a criminal.”
In a statement Tuesday, the union said both men were wrongly convicted and maliciously prosecuted.
DOJ’S “EXCESSIVE” TREATMENT OF JAN. 6 RIOTS ‘UNDERMINED’ PROSECUTIONS, SAYS TURLEY AFTER PARDONS
“These officers, men of integrity and dedication, were targeted by corrupt prosecutors who rigged the legal system against them,” the union said.
Sutton he was convicted and sentenced to 66 months in prison for Hylton-Brown’s death, while Zabavsky was sentenced to 48 months in prison.
Karon Hylton-Brown, 20, died during a police chase while riding a moped, authorities said. Two former Washington, DC police officers were found guilty of their role in her death. President Donald Trump pardoned them. (WTTG)
Hylton-Brown was riding a moped without a helmet on a sidewalk on Oct. 23, 2020, when Sutton tried to pull him over in an unmarked car, authorities said. A chase ensued, reaching speeds of more than double the speed limit on residential streets, the Department of Justice he said
Hylton-Brown was eventually hit by a vehicle in an alley during the pursuit. He suffered severe head trauma and died two days later. The pursuit appeared to violate Metropolitan Police Department policy prohibiting pursuits.
High speed chases are prohibited for minor traffic violations.
D.C. police have a near-constant presence at the intersection of 5th St NW and Kennedy St NW, where police began a pursuit that resulted in the death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton. He was killed in a collision with a car while riding in a rental car. moped in Washington, DC on October 23, 2020. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Prosecutors alleged that both officers conspired to conceal the events that led to Hylton’s death, including failing to tell superior officers the severity of his injuries.
Prosecutors also claimed the officers turned off their body cameras minutes after the collision and did not take statements from witnesses.
