I know you and I have never met. But I’m praying that you’ll help me save my son, Officer Terence Sutton.
This is a picture of Terence and me at a dinner celebrating his graduation from the Police Academy.
I was so proud that night. But I was also terrified.
Terence was going to be patrolling the streets of Washington, DC, where crime is sky-high and politicians side with criminals over cops. But never in my wildest imagination could I have predicted that my son would be wrongfully convicted of murder – murder of a criminal my son didn’t even touch.
The story is so shocking that if it didn’t happen to my son, I wouldn’t even believe it. And I’m praying you will help me save my son – but first, let me explain what happened.
Our nightmare started in October of 2020.
Terence was sitting in his patrol car when he received a report that a known gang member, Karon Hylton-Brown, was seen entering a rival gang’s territory.
Karon was a violent criminal with a rap sheet a mile long – including drugs, illegal gun possession, and assaults. Earlier that day, he had been seen arguing with a rival gang member who owed him money. Terence and other officers were concerned Karon was planning to get revenge.
So when Terence saw him illegally driving a motorized scooter on the sidewalk without a helmet, he tried to pull Karon over to talk. Instead, Karon took off on the scooter.
Terence watched as Karon sped through traffic, weaving in and out of cars and blowing past red lights and stop signs.
My son knew Karon was putting others at risk, so for 3 minutes he slowly and carefully followed behind in his patrol car.
And then it happened.
Karon veered into an alleyway, drove out the other side without looking and slammed into a passing car.
After several days in the hospital, Karon died from his injuries. And here’s where the story takes a shocking turn...
Because Karon was black, and the incident happened just four months after George Floyd’s death, the anti-police mob went into frenzy.
They blamed Terence for the accident and smeared him as a racist.
There were protests and even riots. The mob threw rocks at officers, smashed store windows, and set fires.
Anti-police politicians piled on too. Without any evidence, they demanded my son be charged even though he did nothing to cause Karon’s death.
The pressure campaign worked, and prosecutors charged my son with Second-Degree Murder.
When Terence called to tell me about the charges, I was in disbelief. Any sane person could see that Karon’s death, while tragic, was no one’s fault but his own.
He chose to run from the cops.
He chose to not wear a helmet.
He chose to speed through that alley without looking where he was going.
So, when I learned that Terence could be sentenced to sixty years in prison for Karon’s death, my head started spinning. And it only got worse when the trial began.
You see, the judge refused to allow Terence’s legal team to present all of the facts in his defense.
The jury never got to hear that Karon was a known member of a violent gang...
They never got to hear that he was wearing an ankle monitor because of a violent assault he had committed just weeks before...
They never got to hear that he had drugs and thousands of dollars in cash strapped to his leg...
And they never got to hear about the drugs in Karon’s system at the time of the crash.
Sitting in the courtroom, I couldn’t believe my ears when the jury filed out and declared Terence “guilty.”
He’s currently awaiting sentencing.
Now you understand why I’m so heartbroken. The injustice is almost too much to bear.
My son was well-respected by the community he served. He trained many Rookies and set a good example for all of them.
He was even awarded Officer of the Year!
And at the same time the bleeding-heart DC politicians are letting shoplifters, carjackers, and drug dealers walk away scot-free...
...they’re trying to put my son – a decorated officer who has received 60 awards and commendations – away for 60 years for something he didn’t do.
I had almost lost hope, but then we learned about the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund –or LELDF for short.
If you’ve ever heard of LELDF, you know they’re a national group fighting on behalf of wrongly-accused police officers like Terence. LELDF has helped dozens of innocent cops – and their families – at their lowest moments. And when I got the call from their president, Jason Johnson, I was at my lowest moment.
Not only did LELDF decide to help my son get the legal defense he deserves. They’re also raising money to pay for the best attorneys and expert witnesses for Terence.
So I have to ask you one of the toughest questions I’ve ever asked anyone:
Will you help my son Terence fight the unjust charges against him by donating to LELDF?
To fund his defense, Terence had to sell his home, his car, his beloved motorcycle, and most of his personal belongings. Everything he owns now fits in just nine small boxes. He has almost nothing left.
If I had anywhere else to turn, I wouldn’t be so bold as to ask for your help.
But I already lost my husband. He was a police officer too, and he was so proud that Terence followed in his footsteps. And it makes me cry when I think of how he would feel about what Terence is being put through right now.
I simply can’t bear the thought of having another family member ripped away from me.
So if you are at all able, would you consider following this link to make a tax-deductible donation to the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund to help my Terence?
Any amount – $35, $50, $100, or even $500 or more – will help.
And because LELDF is a non-profit organization, your gift is completely tax-deductible. But whatever you can afford to give, I ask that you rush it back quickly.
Terence’s team is currently looking at every available option to keep his case alive.
And you and your $35 contribution could make the difference in Terence being acquitted or spending the next 60 years behind bars.
Right now, Terence can only rely on the good nature and generosity of kind neighbors like you.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter today.
And thank you – in advance – for doing what you can to help all the wrongly-accused officers LELDF is working with. Like Terence.
Sincerely,
Patti Reilly
P.S. I know a few kind words from someone like you will help lift Terence’s spirits. This guilty verdict has been so devastating for him. So if you choose to make a $35 gift to LELDF, would you also please include a little note –maybe a prayer? There’s a field on the page for you to do this. Thank you –from the bottom of my heart.
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More such officers who sacrifice so much for will face similar fates unless we speak out and stand up for the brave men and women in blue. The next time you see a police officer in your community, please thank them for their service. To read more about our mission or the other Law Enforcement officers we're defending, please visit www.PoliceDefense.org. And remember –Blue Lives Matter!