A Connecticut police officer who fatally struck a beloved pastor in a car accident last year has been fired, officials announced Thursday.
Zachary Lockwood, who was charged back in February, was canned by the Stamford Police Department, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported.
“I am aware that Zachary Lockwood has been terminated from his position,” Mayor Caroline Simmons told the Stamford Advocate. “My thoughts and prayers remain with the Jackson family and all those impacted by this horrific tragedy.”
The Rev. Tommie Jackson, 69, was killed in the accident on July 26, 2023. Lockwood was driving his marked Stamford police vehicle at 46 mph in a 25 mph zone when he hit Jackson as he was crossing the street, according to authorities.
Lockwood was responding to a different car crash that turned into a disturbance in Stamford. Investigators said he had been advised to respond “Code 1” — the slowest response, with the flow of traffic and without sirens — but instead went “Code 3”, reaching speeds of 65 mph.
“Oh damn, don’t go Code 3, go Code 2,” Lockwood’s partner told him as he made the decision, according to charging documents.
Jackson was attempting to cross the street after retrieving mail from a mailbox, authorities said. Lockwood struck him at 46 mph.
Jackson, a well-known pastor at Rehoboth Fellowship Church and Faith Tabernacle Church, later died of his injuries at the hospital.
In February, prosecutors charged Lockwood with one felony count of misconduct with a motor vehicle. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
“The decision to terminate [Lockwood] not only responds to this tragedy, but it also assures us all that Stamford is now a safer place to work and live,” attorney Darnell Crossland, representing Jackson’s family, told the Advocate.