STAMFORD, CT — Former Stamford police officer Zachary Lockwood was found not guilty last Friday in the 2023 crash that killed the Rev. Tommie Jackson on Wire Mill Road in Stamford, according to media reports.
A six-person jury found Lockwood, 27, not guilty of misconduct with a motor vehicle after a several-day trial, the Stamford Advocate reported. The trial was moved from Stamford to Milford to avoid a conflict of interest.
On July 26, 2023, at approximately 4:20 p.m., Lockwood struck Jackson with his patrol car while responding to a separate call, police said at the time. Jackson had just retrieved his mail and was attempting to cross Wire Mill Road back to his home.
Dashcam footage from Lockwood's police vehicle that was shown at the trial showed Lockwood reaching 65 mph just before striking Jackson and driving 45 mph while braking, News 12 CT reported. Lockwood's emergency lights were on without a siren.
Lockwood, who testified in his own defense during the trial, told reporters after the verdict that he was "extremely grateful" to family and friends for their support, News 12 CT.
Jackson, 69, was a beloved member of the community and a pastor at Rehoboth Fellowship Church in Stamford, and previously at Faith Tabernacle Church. He was also the assistant director of the Stamford Urban Redevelopment Commission, an agency created in 1954 that handles municipal development projects.
Lockwood joined the Stamford Police Department in April 2022 and was placed on administrative leave after the incident; he turned himself in on an arrest warrant in February 2024. He was subsequently fired from the SPD in August 2024.
In 2025, Lockwood rejected a plea offer that would have had him serve two years in prison.
Read more from Stamford Advocate and News 12 CT.
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