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Stamford Police Officer Zachary Lockwood, age 24, was charged by Connecticut State Police on Wednesday, Feb. 7 with misconduct with a motor vehicle for the Wednesday, July 26 collision that killed the Rev. Tommie Jackson.
According to state police, the incident occurred when Lockwood was responding to a call involving another crash where a disturbance of a large group of people was taking place on Hope Street.
Lockwood was traveling eastbound on Wire Mill Road with his lights and siren on intermittently when he came upon a right curve in the roadway, state police said.
At the same time, Jackson, age 69, of Stamford, was on foot, attempting to cross the roadway after retrieving mail from a mailbox.
When Lockwood saw Jackson in the roadway he made an evasive steering maneuver, causing his SUV to enter the westbound lane where the vehicle hit Jackson, state police said.
Jackson, who was a well-known pastor at the Rehoboth Fellowship Church, a local attorney, and a fixture in Fairfield County politics, was transported to Stamford Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
During an extensive investigation, detectives determined that Lockwood’s final activation of his emergency siren occurred 15 seconds before the impact occurred.
"Based upon this information, at the time the collision with Mr. Jackson occurred, Officer Lockwood’s police vehicle did not meet the elements of an emergency vehicle as defined by Connecticut General Statute, 14-283," state police said.
Additionally, state police said the analysis revealed that Lockwood was traveling at 65 mph approximately 300 feet before the collision, without an audible siren, and 46 mph at the time his SUV hit the pastor.
The established speed limit on Wire Mill Road is 25 mph.
Based on the totality of the information obtained during their investigation, detectives applied for an arrest warrant, which was granted.
After learning of the active warrant for his arrest, Lockwood turned himself in at Connecticut State Police Troop G, in Bridgeport where he was processed and released on a $10,000 bond.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
Following his arrest Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw said the department's Internal Affairs Unit can now begin the internal administrative investigation into the incident.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved with this tragic incident," Shaw added.
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