More than nine months have passed since D.C. police officers chased Karon Hylton-Brown as he rode a motor scooter and he got into a fatal crash.
On Wednesday, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George said that’s too long for no charges to be brought against the officers. She and community activists protested outside the offices of the U.S. Attorney to demand action.
“We are here to tell you to get your act together,” George said. “We demand you stop delaying justice and accountability.”
Hylton-Brown was 20 years old and the daughter of an infant about to turn three months old when the crash occurred. Video shows him riding a scooter up and down streets of the Brightwood Park neighborhood in October as officers try to pulled him over. Officers followed him and turned on their lights.
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Hylton-Brown was hit by a passing van on Kennedy Street NW and died three days later.
Days of tense protests outside the Fourth District police station followed the chase and crash.
“There will be no guarantee of peace if there is no guarantee of justice,” said activist Perry Redd, a participant in the protests.
Four Metropolitan Police Department officers were placed on paid leave as the U.S. Attorney’s office investigates. A spokesman for the office said Wednesday that the investigation continues.
“The investigation into Karon Hylton-Brown's tragic death is ongoing, but as with any pending matter, it would be improper to comment any further at this time. The U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to thoroughly investigating police-involved deaths,” the statement said.
George, the councilmember, called the wait “unnecessary and inexcusable.”
Hylton-Brown’s mother, Karen Hylton, was not at the press event Wednesday. But she has confronted Mayor Muriel Bowser several times in recent weeks, asking for an update.
An MPD spokesman said Officer Terrence Sutton, who was driving the police car during the chase, remains on paid administrative leave. The department would not release information on the status of the other three officers.
