DC police officers found guilty in fatal pursuit of man on electric scooter

Two Washington, D.C., police officers have been found guilty in the 2020 death of Karon Hylton-Brown during a vehicle chase.

Two Washington, D.C., police officers were found guilty in the death of Karon Hylton-Brown during a police pursuit.

On Oct. 23, 2020, Hylton-Brown was driving an electric scooter without a helmet on a sidewalk when two Metropolitan police officers attempted to stop Hylton-Brown.

Body camera footage released by the MPD shows officers following Hylton-Brown down an alleyway, where he is hit by a civilian's car as Hylton-Brown turned onto a busy street during the chase.

He died at a hospital a few days later, according to officials.

PHOTO: In this Nov. 6, 2020, file photo, the mother of Karon Hylton holds a candle as friends and family gather for a vigil in Hylton's memory two weeks after he was involved in a fatal traffic collision in Washington, D.C.
In this Nov. 6, 2020, file photo, the mother of Karon Hylton holds a candle as friends and family gather for a vigil in Hylton's memory two weeks after he was involved in a fatal traffic collision in Washington, D.C.
Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via AP, FILE

The officer who led the chase, Terence Sutton, was found guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice in a federal district court on Wednesday.

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The officer who drove the second vehicle, Andrew Zabavsky, was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice.

Sutton had allegedly turned off his lights and sirens as he sped up behind Hylton-Brown, according to the indictment of the two officers.

PHOTO: In this Oct. 28, 2020, file photo, a protester holds a sign and candle during a vigil in memory of Karon Hylton who was killed last week in a traffic collision after leaving a police traffic stop.
In this Oct. 28, 2020, file photo, a protester holds a sign and candle during a vigil in memory of Karon Hylton who was killed last week in a traffic collision after leaving a police traffic stop.
Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via AP, FILE

The charging documents also said that neither Sutton nor Zabavsky made any officials in the MPD chain of command aware about Hylton-Brown's injuries, which delayed notification to the internal affairs division in charge of making formal referrals to federal authorities responsible for launching civil rights investigations.

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Neither of the officers took steps to collect evidence or preserve the scene and roughly 20 minutes after the crash both officers allegedly deactivated their body-worn cameras to speak privately to each other, according to the charging documents.

After departing the scene of the crash, Sutton and Zabavsky allegedly made misleading statements describing their pursuit of Hylton-Brown and made no mention of his serious injuries, significantly delaying an investigation into their conduct.

Both officers pled not guilty. Sutton's attorney, Michael J. Hannon, said at his initial appearance in federal court that the officers believed Hylton-Brown was a member of a drug gang and was armed and dangerous, according to the Washington Post.

Sutton and Zabavsky's attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

PHOTO:In this Nov. 23, 2020, file photo, DC police appear at the intersection of 5th St NW and Kennedy St NW, where police initiated a chase that led to Karon Hylton, 20, being killed in Washington, D.C.
In this Nov. 23, 2020, file photo, DC police show an almost constant presence at the intersection of 5th St NW and Kennedy St NW, where police initiated a chase that led to Karon Hylton, 20, being killed after he collided with a car while riding a rented moped in Washington, D.C.
The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE

"The verdict today provides some closure after two years of what has been a difficult and emotional matter for our city," said the Metropolitan Police Department in a statement. "We recognize that the loss of any life is tragic. As a Department, we will continue to review our policies and training, adjusting as necessary."

According to MPD, both Sutton and Zabavsky have been on indefinite suspension without pay throughout the legal proceedings.

MPD will complete an internal investigation into this incident now that the trial has concluded, the department said in a statement.

ABC News' Alex Mallin and Beatrice Peterson contributed to this report.

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