HISPANIC TEEN FOUND HANGING NEAR POLICE PRECINCT IN D.C.
Community Demands Accountability as Law Enforcement Withholds Information
On Monday, April 13th, a 19-year old Hispanic teen was found hanging near the 4D police precinct in Washington DC.
DC Metropolitan Police Department did not release any statement on the death for three days until a journalist from the Washington Informer showed up to their offices.
Investigators quickly ruled out foul play and deemed the hanging a “suicide,” which many residents find hard to believe given the circumstances. A young Hispanic man found hanging outside near a police station notorious for a history of police brutality during a particular time of racist dehumanization and routine circumvention of accountability for law enforcement in this country.
The DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression held a rally on Friday the 17th, to demand transparency and justice for the young man who was found hanging. I had the opportunity to speak to filmmaker and one of the lead organizers, Merawi Gerima.
“We got a lot more attention after the action took place,” Merawi said. “The community is doing their own investigating. We’re working on building a campaign to demand justice. So much viciousness happens in the 4D corridor. They have a history of police brutality.”
Merawi spoke of Karon Hylton-Brown, a 20-year-old black man who was murdered by DC Officers Terrence Sutton and Andrew Zabavsky in 2020. The officers were convicted of covering up the incident with Sutton convicted of second-degree murder before both being pardoned by Donald Trump in 2025 and reinstated weeks after.
“Karon’s mother is still harassed by local law enforcement in her very neighborhood.”
He also spoke of MPD Commander Jason Bagshaw who fatally shot Lazarus Wilson while off-duty in 2022. The family of Wilson sued the DC Metropolitan Police Department for $25 million dollar lawsuit.
Despite this, Bagshaw remains on the force and was among the officers present during the rally in opposition to the local law enforcement that refused to publicly release information on the hanging until pressured to do so.
Still, the identity of the deceased young man and any further information has not been released.
“We will be planning another action in the coming days,” Merawi said.
Instances like these are part of an increasing pattern of either police violence or the lack of justice regarding it within an increasingly overwhelmed system where those who gravitate towards position of power with the intent to abuse it are further emboldened in that abuse by a culture and government that permits and encourages it.
Despite the quick assessment by “investigators,” this hanging screams nothing less than “foul play.”
This just makes my heart hurt. Another young life wasted. What are the police doing!?!?! Nothing. There needs to be accountability.
Equality and justice for all is an ongoing domestic war against inhumanity. Respect for all; not for some. “Land of the free and the brave” refers to those brave who demands freedom for ALL.