Stamford Paid Over $11 Million In Lawsuit Settlement Over Death Of Beloved Pastor: Report

STAMFORD, CT — The City of Stamford paid $11.25 million to the family of the Rev. Tommie Jackson, who was killed after he was struck by a Stamford police vehicle in July 2023, Stamford Advocate reported, citing probate court records.

The Advocate said the settlement was reached in the months before the trial against ex-Stamford cop Zachary Lockwood, 27.

The estate received $7.4 million after lawsuit expenses and a 30 percent attorney fee were deducted, the Advocate reported. The settlement ended the lawsuit filed by the administrators of Jackson's estate against the city in November 2023.

Lockwood was found not guilty of misconduct with a motor vehicle on Sept. 25 after a several-day trial in Milford.

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.

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 became a Stamford police officer in April 2022. He was fired from the department in August 2024.

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