Trump pardons two D.C. police officers convicted in fatal chase in 2020

President Donald Trump has waded into a local controversy from four years ago, involving a fatality in Brightwood Park that prompted protests against police and led to the rare prosecution of two D.C. police officers. 

On Wednesday night, Trump granted clemency to D.C. Police Officer Terence Sutton and Lieutenant Andrew Zabavsky for their convictions stemming from the 2020 police chase and subsequent death of Karon Hylton-Brown, a 20-year-old Black man.

Sutton was charged and convicted of second-degree murder for chasing Hylton-Brown in an unmarked police car, leading Hylton-Brown’s moped to collide with another car; he later died from his injuries. Zabavsky was found guilty of conspiring to help cover up the incident. The prosecutions were historic; Sutton was the first D.C. police officer ever charged with murder for on-duty actions.

The two officers, both of whom are white, were sentenced to prison terms — five-and-a-half years for Sutton, four for Zabavsky — but had remained free as they appealed their convictions.

The deadly incident came in the wake of a tense summer across the country, as protests flared over police misconduct in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The protests in D.C., which at times turned violent, prompted a citywide curfew and a controversial deployment of federal police at Trump’s behest, but had largely quieted down as fall arrived. 

But they exploded again in October when Hylton-Brown was killed after colliding with an SUV during the slow-moving police chase around the Kennedy Street corridor. Protesters and Hylton-Brown’s family said Sutton and Zabavsky had recklessly violated police regulations on chases, which are against MPD policy except in extreme circumstances where someone is presenting an imminent risk to the public. (During the trial, some of Sutton and Zabavsky’s colleagues also said the chase had been problematic.)

Sutton and Zabavsky, for their part, argued they were simply doing their jobs and the prosecutions and convictions were excessive and unfair. And they weren’t the only ones. During the sentencing phase of their trials, former D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham – who was serving in that role at the time of the incident – came to their defense. 

The case attracted attention on the right, and earlier this week Trump alluded to possible pardons while Ed Martin – his interim appointment for U.S. Attorney for D.C. – tweeted his criticism of his predecessor’s decision to prosecutor Sutton and Zabavsky. “Under Biden, they chose politics over police. I choose police. Free these guys and let’s go get the bad guys,” he wrote.

“Officer Sutton was wrongly charged by corrupt prosecutors for doing his job. This action rights an incredible wrong that not only harmed Officer Sutton, but also crippled the ability for the department to function,” tweeted the D.C. Police Union on Wednesday. (The union had also expressed its “dismay” over Trump’s pardon of those charged and convicted for the January 6 insurrection, during which D.C. police officers were attacked and injured.)

Shortly after Sutton and Zabavsky were sentenced in September 2024, Matthew Graves, who was then the U.S. Attorney for D.C., defended the decision to prosecute the officers. “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,” he said.

But in their own statement, the Metropolitan Police Department took issue with Graves’ decision. “The prosecutions of Officer Terence Sutton and Lieutenant Andrew Zabavsky were literally unprecedented. Never before, in any other jurisdiction in the country, has a police officer been charged with second-degree murder for pursuing a suspect. The Department recognizes the risks involved in vehicle pursuits, which are reflected in our pursuit policy. But violations of that policy should be addressed through training and discipline — not through criminal prosecution,” the department said. 

It remains unclear what will happen with Sutton and Zabavsky now. They have been on unpaid suspension during the legal process and could still face internal discipline.

Ahead of the pardons, Hylton-Brown’s mother spoke out against any possible clemency for the two officers. "Per President [Trump's] inauguration speech, he spoke of fairness. The pardoning of Sutton and Zabavsky isn't fairness,” she told NBC4. “As a mother, I am asking you don't pardon the [murderers] of my baby Karon Hylton. President Trump, as the mother of a baby whom I love, I am requesting to speak with you privately… please don't pardon Sutton and Zabavsky.”

Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, who represents the area where the fatality took place, also released a statement in opposition to Trump’s actions. “I’m devastated for the family and friends of Karon Hylton-Brown and everyone in our community who is still mourning his loss. I’m devastated for the community members who united and fought valiantly for justice. I am devastated that after four years of fighting for accountability, justice may be taken away,” she said.

“The officers convicted in this case were found guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice by a unanimous jury of their peers,” continued George, who after Hylton-Brown’s death had pushed to tighten up the city’s policy restricting car chases. “The decision to potentially pardon their crimes puts political agenda above the integrity of our justice system and deepens the wounds of our community. Decisions like this make our communities less safe and send a dangerous message that justice can be undermined.”