Two police officers were sentenced to multiple years in prison related to their involvement in a fatal chase of a man on a moped, sparking significant protests in the nation’s capital.
Metropolitan Police Department officer Terence Sutton, 40, received a sentence of five years and six months for his murder conviction in the October 2020 death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown. Former MPD lieutenant Andrew Zabavsky was sentenced to four years for participating in a conspiracy to cover up the reckless pursuit.
U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman announced both sentences following a three-day hearing. The judge has permitted both officers to remain free while they appeal the rulings.
Prosecutors had suggested longer sentences of 18 years for Sutton and just over 10 years for Zabavsky. Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, emphasized that public safety fundamentally relies on public trust, asserting that crimes committed by law enforcement undermine this trust and disservice the community.
In a statement to the court, Sutton expressed shock over the incident and insisted his intentions were to protect the community. Demonstrations erupted outside a Washington police station following Hylton-Brown’s death, reflecting public outrage over the incident.
After a nine-week trial in December 2022, a jury found Sutton guilty of second-degree murder and convicted both officers on conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges. On the night of October 23, 2020, Sutton pursued Hylton-Brown, who was riding an electric moped without a helmet. The dangerous chase lasted nearly three minutes across 10 city blocks, culminating in a collision that resulted in Hylton-Brown being thrown into the air.
The driver of the vehicle that struck Hylton-Brown testified that he would have reacted differently had he seen police lights or heard sirens, suggesting the prolonged chase endangered public safety and breached departmental policies on pursuits. Prosecutors noted that Hylton-Brown was not a fleeing felon and posed no immediate risk to others.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Sutton and Zabavsky instigated a cover-up by dismissing an eyewitness and allowing the driver involved to leave the scene shortly thereafter. They also misled a commanding officer about the crash’s severity. Sutton subsequently drafted a false police report regarding the events.
The severity of the officers’ actions was underscored by prosecutors, who labeled the cover-up of an on-duty death as a serious breach of public trust. Over 40 law enforcement officers submitted supportive letters for Sutton, emphasizing that he did not intend harm during the incident.
Zabavsky’s defense requested probation instead of prison for the veteran officer, citing the uniqueness of the case and its implications for police conduct. The mother of Hylton-Brown’s daughter poignantly described him as a caring father whose life was cut short by reckless police actions.
