In response to the Metropolitan Police Department’s decision to reinstate two officers convicted for their roles in the 2020 murder of Karon Hylton-Brown and pardoned by President Trump, Monica Hopkins, Executive Director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia, said:
“The Metropolitan Police Department’s decision to reinstate police officers who were convicted for their roles in a murder and cover-up is an affront to public safety in the District.
A pardon from President Trump may come as no surprise, but Police Chief Pamela A. Smith reinstating these officers, who were found—beyond a reasonable doubt—to have participated in murder and a cover-up, is shocking. For years community members sought justice in this case—only to have the unanimous verdict overturned and these officers be reinstated. How are D.C. communities supposed to trust law enforcement when officers can abuse their power and not face consequences?
The two reinstated police officers, Officer Terence Sutton and Lt. Andrew Zabavsky, were convicted of criminal acts that are an egregious affront to the justice system and the legitimacy of law enforcement. The jury found that Officer Sutton caused Mr. Karon Hylton-Brown's death by illegally chasing him ‘at unreasonable speeds’ for ten blocks before trapping Mr. Hylton-Brown in a narrow alley, where he was struck by an oncoming driver. While Mr. Hylton-Brown lay unconscious in the street in a pool of his own blood, Officer Sutton conspired with Lt. Zabavsky to cover up their crime by misleading their commanding officer, denying a police chase ever occurred, omitting the seriousness of Mr. Hylton Brown’s injuries, and falsifying a police report. These officers were prosecuted by the US Attorney for those criminal actions when a jury found them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Police abuse causes significant harm, costs millions of dollars, and undermines the whole justice system. People across the political spectrum want our leaders to prevent police misconduct and to hold officers accountable when they break the law, and especially when they are convicted of murder and obstruction of justice.”