CNN
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President Donald Trump has issued a “complete and innocent condemnation” of Washington, D.C. police Lt. Andrew Zabowski and Officer Terrence Sutton for their roles in the death of 20-year-old Karon Hilton-Brown, which sparked protests in the immediate aftermath. granted a conditional pardon. About the murder of George Floyd.
Prosecutors allege that in October 2020, Metropolitan Police Department officers Sutton and Zabowski spotted Hilton Brown driving a moped without a helmet, pursued him at an “unreasonable speed,” and eventually killed him. claimed that he was struck and killed by an unrelated driver.
Investigators say the officers turned off their body cameras, tampered with the scene and misled superiors about the nature of the incident as Hilton-Brown lay dying in the street. It is said that he hid it.
Defense attorneys disputed the details of the encounter, arguing the court threw out key evidence that gave the officers a reasonable suspicion that Hilton-Brown intended to commit a crime. Sutton’s lawyer, Kellen Dwyer, told CNN that the conviction is expected to be overturned on appeal.
Sutton was found guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct business, and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 66 months in prison. The same jury found Mr. Zabowski guilty of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice and sentenced him to 48 months in prison.
The Washington, D.C., police union has asked the Trump administration to pardon the two officers who are out on bail pending appeal, and their lawyers have also been actively seeking pardons from the administration.
Zabowski’s lawyer, Christopher Zampogna, thanked President Trump after receiving the pardon, saying, “We are extremely grateful for (President Trump’s) pardon.” Sampogna said he and his client are working out final details with the Department of Justice.
Sutton told CNN he was “simply overwhelmed” and thanked the president. “I would like to go back to the police force and finish my career,” he added, admitting he had “no idea” whether that would be possible.
Dwyer added in a statement that he was “excited that President Trump has ended this prosecution once and for all.”
President Trump has mentioned the possibility of a pardon several times in recent days, including on Tuesday, during an unrelated press conference at the White House, where he told police that rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 This included when asked about the decision to pardon him for sending a message saying it’s OK to assault someone. .
“No, quite the opposite. In fact, I’m going to send two officers from Washington, D.C., and I think they’re from D.C., and I just authorized that,” Trump said. “They were arrested and put in prison for five years because they were chasing illegal criminals. Maybe something went wrong and they arrested two police officers for chasing criminals and put them in jail. I think so.” By the way, he’s a rough criminal. And I actually release… No, I’m a friend, I’m a friend of the police more than any president who’s ever been in this office. ”
Although he did not specifically mention Sutton or Zabafsky, the comments echoed Trump’s comments about the incident, although police say Hilton Brown is a U.S. citizen and not illegally in the country, as the president claims. It reflected an earlier statement. President Trump also posted a link to an op-ed on his Truth Social platform calling for pardons for police officers.
Hilton Brown’s death in October 2020, months after Floyd’s killing, and its subsequent cover-up by police sparked days of unrest and violent protests in the nation’s capital.
Hilton Brown’s mother, Karen Hilton, who has been outspoken since her son’s death, told CNN before the pardon was announced that she was shocked and started crying when she learned of the possibility of a pardon.
“We must not forgive these murderers,” Hilton said, adding that she had sent a letter to Trump on Tuesday. “I ask him, do not forgive them.”
Law enforcement officials and the department’s rank-and-file have argued that the officers were overly charged in the incident, where there was no contact between the officer’s car and Hilton Brown, with particular focus on the murder charge against Sutton. I am doing it.
According to CNN affiliate WUSA9 News, former D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said at the time, “Had this incident not occurred in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, these officers would be facing decades in prison. My opinion is that it didn’t happen.”
However, prosecutors in the case stand by the charges and the conviction.
“Public safety requires the public’s trust,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said in a statement after the officers were sentenced in September. “Crimes like this undermine that trust and are a disservice to our communities and to the thousands of police officers who work incredibly hard within the Constitution to keep us safe.”
“Communities and fellow law enforcement officers deserve officers they can trust who will not abuse their positions of trust and power or endanger the public,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist. He added that the verdict “demonstrates the seriousness of the crime and the importance of the criminal justice system and the processes that take place.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Alejandra Jaramillo and Donald Judd contributed to this report.
