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Karen Hylton, mother of man who died in police chase, acquitted of assaulting US Marshal

Karen Hylton was charged with assaulting a U.S. Marshal after the verdict was read for two officers charged in connection with her son's death.

WASHINGTON — A jury on Thursday acquitted a D.C. mother of assaulting a U.S. Marshal in December 2022 during the trial of two police officers charged in connection with the death of her son.

Karen Hylton was indicted on one count of assault for allegedly charging and shoving Deputy U.S. Marshal Aaron Smith in a federal courtroom. In charging documents, prosecutors said Hylton began repeatedly shouting after a jury convicted D.C. Police Officer Terence Sutton of second-degree murder in connection with the death of her son, 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, during a chase in October 2020. Sutton and his supervisor, Andrew Zabavsky, were also convicted of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice.

After Hylton’s outburst, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ordered court security officers to remove her from the courtroom. That’s when, according to Smith, she shoved the Marshal and knocked him into a bench. She was arrested outside the courtroom and indicted months later.

Credit: WUSA9
(Left) Karen Hylton speaks to WUSA9 following her son's death. (Right) Karon Hylton-Brown seen in an undated photo.

Hylton began trial this week and faced Smith and two other officers who testified about the altercation.  When it came time for the defense’s case, Hylton chose to make it herself. In emotional and often combative testimony, Hylton denied ever shoving Smith and repeatedly railed against DC Police, federal prosecutors and both Friedman and U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over her trial.

“The disturbance in that courtroom did not start until they jumped on me,” Hylton said.

Hylton was represented by assistant federal public defenders Alexis Gardner and Ubong Akpan. During her direct examination, Gardner walked her through the emotional toll of the trial – particularly watching video and hearing testimony about her son’s death.

“I’m upset and I’m mad,” Hylton said. “My baby is gone.”

Hylton didn’t deny she’d been warned several times about causing disturbances in court or that she had shouted, among other things, “bald-headed f***!” after the verdict was read. But she repeatedly said she didn’t shove Smith or even know who he was until her trial started this week. To the chagrin of Kollar-Kotelly, who repeatedly warned Hylton not to talk about things she had barred from trial, Hylton also shouted over DOJ objections that Sutton was still on release while he seeks a new trial or acquittal ruling.

“Instead of accountability, his friends jumped me!” Hylton said.

Jurors received the case Thursday morning after hearing closing arguments and returned a verdict the same day – acquitting Hylton of the one count against her.

The verdict ends Hylton’s criminal case, but not her time in court. In October 2021, Hylton filed a $31 billion wrongful death lawsuit against the District of Columbia, Sutton, Zabavsky and others. She’s also filed a separate $20 million lawsuit claiming she was attacked by police in December 2020 during a peaceful protest on behalf of her son. Both lawsuits remain pending.

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