DC police violated pursuit policy in deadly moped incident, attorney says

Father of man killed in moped incident involving police, attorney speak

An attorney who says he's investigating the death of a Northwest DC man who was killed while riding a moped during an alleged police pursuit, as well as the man's father, spoke to the media on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - An attorney who says he’s looking into the death of a Northwest D.C. man who was killed in a moped crash that occurred during a police pursuit says the officers violated a city pursuit policy.

Police officials say 20-year-old Karon Hylton had been operating an electric moped without a helmet on the sidewalk and officers attempted to make a traffic stop.

He collided with a vehicle as he exited an alley and cops tried to perform CPR on him, according to a statement.

He was pronounced dead at a hospital on Monday, three days after the incident.

According to attorney Malik Shabazz, D.C. police pursuit policy forbids vehicle chases unless they have “reasonable suspicion that a felony has been committed.”

In this case, he says, the officers were trying to stop Hylton because of a helmet violation, and, therefore, the pursuit violated their policy.

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Shabazz – a noted activist - was surrounded by several community activists who he said represented the New Black Panther Party and the Fred Hampton Gun Club, as well as Karon Hylton’s father, Charles Brown.

Brown said he’s outraged by the incident – not only at the officer behind the wheel, but those who were with him in the vehicle.
Emotions ran high at one point when a family member reprimanded the attorney, declaring that he did not represent the family.

She walked out shortly before Shabazz finished speaking, and before Brown spoke.