Protests broke out in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, the day after a Black man died from the injuries he sustained when the moped he was riding collided with a vehicle as officers pursued him because he was not wearing a helmet.
Karon Hylton, 20, died on Monday after he collided with a vehicle in northwest Washington on Friday while riding a Revel electric moped.
The Metropolitan Police Department said officers were attempting to conduct a traffic stop shorty after 10 p.m. because Hylton was riding the moped on a sidewalk and was not wearing a helmet.
Police said Hylton went through an alley and then collided with a vehicle. He died days later in a hospital. Hylton’s family believes police caused the crash by chasing Hylton. His mother demanded to be let into the 4th District police station on Tuesday to see the officer who “killed her son.”
Windows of the police station were broken, and objects were thrown at officers, who formed a perimeter around the station and fired pepper pellets and flash bangs as dozens of protesters demonstrated in the streets.
In a video posted to Twitter, Hylton’s mother is seen entering the station after an officer opened the door, only to be shoved back outside, according to user @ChuckModi1.
“You’re defending a building. I’m defending my son!” she said while confronting officers.
There were no reports of injuries or arrests.
Police called Hylton’s death a tragic fatality. He died on the same day his daughter turned 3 months old, his girlfriend Amaala Jones-Bey said.
This summer, three people died riding Revel mopeds in New York City. After the company relaunched, a fourth person was killed. The mopeds reach a top speed of 30 mph.
“Our sympathies are with Mr. Hylton’s family. As this incident is under investigation, we’re awaiting more details at this time,” said Revel CEO Frank Reig on Tuesday.
Hylton’s family is calling for body camera footage of the incident to be released.
