Cop hits and kills pastor while responding to a call for service, Connecticut police say
A community is mourning the death of a pastor who was a “beacon of light” after he was fatally hit by a police cruiser, according to officials in Connecticut.
A Stamford police officer responding to a call on July 26 struck and killed 69-year-old Rev. Tommie Jackson, who was crossing the street, Stamford police said in a news release.
Officer Zachary Lockwood was responding to a call for service when he accidentally struck Jackson, according to police. Lockwood performed CPR until medics arrived and transported Jackson to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, police said in the release.
During a news conference live streamed on Facebook on July 28, police said the emergency lights on the cruiser were activated at the time of the crash.
The road where the accident happened appears to be a tree-lined road with no sidewalks. WFSB reported that Jackson was crossing the street to his mailbox when Lockwood hit him with his marked cruiser.
“Pastor Tommie Jackson was such a beacon of light for so many in the Stamford community, for [the] past 25 plus years,” Stamford Assistant Chief Silas Redd said in the news release. “His steadfast commitment to serve those under the guidance of his pastorate, extended far and wide.”
Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons released a statement mourning the loss of the pastor.
“Reverend Jackson’s decades of service and leadership made an indelible impact on the City of Stamford,” she wrote. “I was honored to call him a friend and I will greatly miss his positive energy, wonderful sense of humor, and infectious smile.”
Jackson was a pastor at Rehoboth Fellowship Church and Faith Tabernacle Church, and he was also the assistant director of the Urban Redevelopment Commission, according to the mayor’s office.
Tributes for the pastor poured in on social media.
“I’m devastated by the death of my friend Reverend Tommie Jackson,” one Facebook user wrote. “I had the great pleasure and honor of working with Tommie at the Stamford Urban Redevelopment Commission where he was a force for good! I will miss him terribly.”
Simmons wrote that Jackson was an advocate for social and racial justice, and that he touched the lives of many in his work. She extended support to his daughters and to his wife Dorye, who is a Stamford Police Commissioner.
Lockwood, who has been with the department since April 2022, has been placed on administrative leave, according to Stamford police. Connecticut State Police is investigating the crash.
This story was originally published July 28, 2023 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Cop hits and kills pastor while responding to a call for service, Connecticut police say."