Executive Grant of Clemency for TERENCE SUTTON

Pardons

Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371)

  • Two or more people agreed to commit a federal crime
  • At least one person took an overt act toward completing that crime
  • The individual was aware of the plan’s unlawfulness

Witness Tampering (18 U.S.C. § 1512)

  • Using physical force or threats against a witness
  • Attempting to prevent testimony in an official proceeding
  • Trying to prevent communication with law enforcement
  • Attempting to influence, delay, or prevent witness testimony

Terrence Sutton, a Metropolitan Police Department officer, committed several specific criminal actions in connection with the death of Karon Hylton-Brown in October 2020:

After Hylton-Brown suffered fatal injuries from being hit by a car, Sutton:

  • Allowed the vehicle that struck Hylton-Brown to leave the scene within 20 minutes of the crash
  • Deliberately turned off his body-worn camera to conceal evidence
  • Failed to contact MPD’s Major Crash Unit as required by department protocol
  • Failed to notify the Internal Affairs Unit as required

Sutton actively participated in deceiving investigators by:

  • Misleading his commanding officer about the nature of the incident
  • Falsely implying that Hylton-Brown was a drunk driver
  • Denying that a police pursuit had occurred
  • Concealing his direct involvement in the incident to prevent an investigation

Together with Officer Zabavsky, Zabavsky:

  • Agreed to cover up the circumstances of the pursuit and collision to prevent a criminal civil rights investigation
  • Engaged in private conversations after turning off body cameras to coordinate their story
  • Deliberately failed to report Hylton-Brown’s injuries to prevent an independent investigation
  • Concealed the grievous nature of the victim’s injuries

These actions led to Sutton’s conviction on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice, resulting in a 48-month prison sentence.

Executive Grant of Clemency

Donald J. Trump President of the United States of America

To All to Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greeting:

Be it Known, that This Day, I, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, Pursuant to My Powers Under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, of the Constitution, Have Granted Unto

TERENCE SUTTON A Full and Unconditional Pardon

For His convictionsin the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, on an indictment (Docket No. 1:21-cr-00598-PLF), of violations of section 2103, title 22, District of Columbia Code; section 371, title 18, United States Code; and section 1512, title 18, United States Code; for which he was sentenced on September 12, 2024, to 66, 48, and 48 months of imprisonment, respectively (all to run concurrently); 3 years of supervised release; and a special assessment of three hundred dollars ($300).

I HEREBY DESIGNATE, direct, and empower, the Pardon Attorney, as my representative, to sign a grant of clemency to the person named herein. The Pardon Attorney shall declare that her action is the act of the President, being performed at my direction.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and caused the seal of the Department of Justice to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington in the District of Columbia this 22nd day of January in the Year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States the two hundred forty-ninth.