WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump last week issued a “full and unconditional pardon” to Washington, DC police lieutenant Andrew Zabavsky and Officer Terence Sutton, both convicted in connection with the 2020 death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, according to CNN.
The decision has sparked renewed debate over police accountability and executive clemency powers, as reported by CNN.
According to CNN, prosecutors stated Zabavsky and Sutton pursued Hylton-Brown at “unreasonable speeds” for failing to wear a helmet while operating a moped, leading to his fatal collision with an uninvolved motorist.
Following the crash, CNN reports that investigators determined the officers attempted to cover up their actions by turning off their body cameras, tampering with the scene, and misleading their superiors about the circumstances of the incident.
CNN added Sutton was convicted of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice, receiving a 66-month prison sentence.
Zabavsky was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice, resulting in a 48-month sentence.
The officers had been out on bail pending appeal prior to Trump’s intervention, according to CNN.
As reported by CNN, the DC Police Union, alongside the officers’ legal teams, actively sought clemency from the Trump administration.
Zabavsky’s attorney, Christopher Zampogna, expressed gratitude, stating to CNN, “We’re very grateful to (President Trump) for doing it.”
Meanwhile, CNN quoted Sutton as sharing his desire to return to law enforcement, though he acknowledged uncertainty about whether that would be possible.
CNN said Trump, in defending his decision, described the officers as victims of a politically motivated prosecution, stating, “They were arrested, put in jail for five years, because they went after an illegal, and I guess something happened where something went wrong.”
CNN noted that the president’s claim that Hylton-Brown was in the country illegally is inaccurate, as police records confirm he was a U.S. citizen.
The decision has been met with backlash from civil rights activists and Hylton-Brown’s family, according to CNN. His mother, Karen Hylton, condemned the pardons, saying to CNN, “Do not pardon these murderers,” and that she had written to Trump personally, urging him to reconsider.
As noted by CNN, law enforcement officials and former DC Police Chief Peter Newsham previously argued the case was overcharged, attributing the severity of the convictions to the heightened scrutiny of police conduct following the murder of George Floyd.
However, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves defended the prosecution, stating to CNN, “Public safety requires public trust. Crimes like this erode that trust and are a disservice to the community and the thousands of officers who work incredibly hard, within the bounds of the Constitution, to keep us safe.”
CNN also reported the FBI weighed in, with Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist emphasizing that the convictions “show the weight of the crimes and the significance of the criminal justice system and processes at work.”
