Trump signaled that he would pardon Terence Sutton and Andrew Zabavskybe as he faced harsh criticism for pardoning defendants who assaulted officers in the Capitol attack, suggesting the clemency for police reflected his true stance on law enforcement.

“They arrested the two officers and put them in jail for going after a criminal. A rough criminal, by the way,” Trump said Tuesday in a preview of the order. “And I’m actually releasing [them]. I am the friend of police, more than any president that’s ever been in this office.”

The case in question occurred in October 2020, near the peak of that year’s Black Lives Matter protest movement. The incident began when Sutton attempted to speak with 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, who then fled from him on an electric moped. A three-minute chase ensued, which ended in a crash that led to Hylton-Brown’s death.

The case sparked protests in the nation’s capital ahead of the election. Sutton was later convicted in September 2024 of second-degree murder and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison, while Zabavsky got four years for his role in the incident.

Zabavsky’s pardon was announced at 5:38 p.m. Eastern time, with Sutton’s coming at 6:15 in a moment long sought by law enforcement advocates in the Washington, D.C., area.

Police officers strongly defended both men during their 2022 trial, and the DC Police Union released a statement this week saying it was working with Trump on the pardons.

“We are actively working with the White House and President Trump to address two glaring miscarriages of justice involving DC police officers, Officer Terrance Sutton and Lieutenant Andrew Zabavsky, who were wrongly convicted of murder,” reads the statement, which was obtained by the Washington Examiner. “These officers — men of integrity and dedication — were targeted by corrupt prosecutors who weaponized the legal system against them.”

However, the same statement criticizes Trump’s pardon of Jan. 6 defendants, expressing “dismay” for those who assaulted police officers during the Capitol riot.

“Our stance is clear — anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, without exception,” it reads.

David Shurtz, an attorney for Hylton-Brown’s family, said Trump was misinformed about the case.

“A jury of Sutton’s and Zabavsky’s peers listened to all the evidence and found Officer Sutton guilty of second-degree murder and Sutton and Zabavsky guilty of obstruction of justice and conspiracy,” he said. “Last time I checked, juries were supposed to decide guilt or innocence.”

Shurtz said the president is only listening to one side of the story, namely that of the Fraternal Order of Police.

“Trump is being given bad information by a corrupt police department,” he said. “But Trump should know better that citizens who hear the evidence are better triers of facts than political hacks.”