DC Police release body camera video in fatal moped incident
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - D.C. Police have released body camera video related to the death of a Black moped driver who officials said collided with another vehicle shortly after officers activated their emergency lights.
The incident happened last Friday in the Northwest and sparked several nights of protests.
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.
Demonstrators gathered at the Fourth District Police Station on Wednesday night to protest Hylton's death. That protest however grew violent, according to D.C. police who tell FOX 5 that rocks, bricks, and other items were used to smash the doors and windows of the police station.
The man’s mother, Karen Hylton, addressed the protesters and asked to talk to D.C. mayor, Muriel Bowser. Hylton’s family and others have blamed the police for his death.
At a press conference on Thursday, Mayor Bowser said she was releasing the video "to demonstrate all that we know at this time."
Footage shows that there was no collision between the police cruiser and the moped, Bowser said. She also added that the body cam and dashcam videos would be used in an investigation to determine if any police department policies were broken.
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“We are extremely devastated by the loss of life and our condolences go out to the family of Mr. Hylton,” Bowser said. “We also understand that the community is upset but you will agree that we cannot channel that anger into violence – not violence or destruction.”
Bowser acknowledged that the video shows a police cruiser following Hylton but would not say if that constituted a policy violation. She also released the name of the officer driving the cruiser but the proper spelling could not be confirmed at this time.