DC police violently disperse crowd demanding justice for Black man killed in pursuit

Protests have been raging for days over the death of Karon Hylton-Brown, who was fatally injured during a police chase on October 23. On Thursday, police attacked protesters with tear gas, pepper spray, flash bangs and even rubber bullets

October 30, 2020 by Peoples Dispatch
Protests have been raging for the second consecutive night over the death of a Karon Hylton-Brown, who was fatally injured during a police chase when the police cracked down

The police violently attacked protesters outside the 4th district police station of the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department, where demonstrations were held for a second consecutive night on Thursday. The protests were in response to the death of Karon Hylton-Brown last week during a police chase.

According to reports, witnesses saw the accused police officers chasing 20-year-old Hylton-Brown for riding his moped without a helmet last Friday, October 23. It was during the chase that Hylton-Brown was struck by a passing car. The car crash eventually led to his death at a hospital due to the injuries sustained, three days later. Testimonies by witnesses were corroborated after bodycam footage from the officers was released to the public on Thursday, after considerable public outrage.

Washington DC has a policy of preventing the police from chasing vehicles over traffic violations, which includes violations like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Hylton-Brown’s family have alleged that the chase was what precipitated the crash that eventually killed him and have demanded they be brought to justice.

“The things that happened didn’t have to happen. You know, he was targeted,” said Karon’s mother, Karen Hylton, as she demanded to speak to the mayor, Muriel Bowser. The police are also yet to give another reason for the chase, since no contraband was found on the victim nor was any crime being reported in the area.

Police blocked the entire street leading to the 4th district police station, which has been the site for protests demanding justice for Karon Hylton-Brown

Family members have been leading demonstrations demanding justice at the 4th district police station for the past two nights. On Thursday night, the police made use of tear gas, pepper spray, flash bangs and even rubber bullets to forcibly clear the demonstrations outside the police station, claiming “riotous behavior” based on a broken window. The forcible clearing, according to Black Lives Matter DC, led to over 200 protesters getting injured.

Both the parents of Hylton-Brown, Karen Hylton and Charles Brown, were, according to reports from the ground, pepper sprayed by the police as well. Police cleared and blocked the entire George Avenue that led to the police station.