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Trump Pardons Two Officers Found Guilty in Black Man’s Death in Washington

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On Wednesday, President Donald Trump pardoned two former police officers from Washington D.C., Terence Sutton Jr. and Andrew Zabavsky. They were previously found guilty for their part in the 2020 death of a young Black man, 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown.

The White House announced these pardons, which stirred different reactions from people involved.

In 2024, Sutton received a 66-month jail sentence, and Zabavsky got 48 months for their involvement in a police chase that ended in a crash on October 23, 2020. This crash led to Hylton-Brown’s death. Both officers had denied wrongdoing and were waiting for more court decisions while not working and not getting paid.

The trial showed that the officers were reckless and tried to hide what really happened in the crash. This case reminded many people of George Floyd’s death, which had caused worldwide protests against police violence and racism.

Sutton’s attorney, Kellen Dwyer, said in a statement cited by CNN that while he and his client were “confident that the D.C. Circuit would have reversed this conviction, we are thrilled that President Trump ended this prosecution once and for all.” Zabavsky’s attorney, Christopher Zampogna, also thanked Trump.

The decision to pardon the officers has faced criticism and support. Their lawyers were happy, believing the pardons ended a challenging legal battle. However, big police groups felt let down, especially since Trump had also pardoned about 1,500 of his supporters who had attacked the U.S. Capitol, including those who hurt police officers.

Karon Hylton-Brown’s mother said she was shocked and upset when she heard about the pardons. These pardons have brought up strong feelings about how police are held accountable for their actions in the U.S.

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