STAMFORD, Conn. — A 69-year-old well-known church pastor has died after being struck by a Stamford police cruiser while the officer was responding to a call on Wednesday afternoon.
Stamford police Officer Zachary Lockwood, 24, was driving a police sports utility vehicle on Wire Mills Road around 4:12 p.m. when he hit 69-year-old Tommie Jackson, Connecticut State Police said in a report.
Jackson, a pastor at Rehoboth Fellowship Church and Faith Tabernacle Church and an assistant director of the city's Urban Redevelopment Commission, was trying to cross the road after picking up mail from a mailbox when he was struck.
Lockwood "made an evasive steering maneuver" and hit him, according to state police, who took over the investigation at the request of the Stamford State's Attorney's Office.
Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw said Jackson was taken to Stamford Hospital, where he died of his injuries.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the deceased,” Shaw said in a statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Every Sunday for the past six years Reverend Jackson met his congregation at his church, Rehoboth Fellowship Church, but many people said that his work went well beyond the church walls.
“It’s just not a way that he should have went. It just didn’t seem real. It still doesn’t seem real,” said church member, Tina Birch.
Reverend Tommie Jackson was a beloved pastor, father, husband, and leader in the Stamford community fighting for social and racial justice.
“He was just about making sure that everybody was getting what they deserve,” said Birch.
The tragedy leaves those closest to him reeling.
“I was up all night crying in between,” said Birch.
Many people like Deacon Brian Smith trying to process what happened.
“If somebody was sick and you were able to kind of process that, but this happened so quickly when you were literally just talking to him the night before and this happened yesterday afternoon. That makes it doubly hard to handle,” said Smith.
“He was our pastor, but he was also the community pastor. If anyone needed anything you could always lean on Pastor Jackson for it,” said Smith.
Even when their faith is shaken, people part of Jackson’s congregation are holding his sermons near their hearts to get them through their loss.
“We’re just going to take the words of our pastor. Continue to lean on your faith through good times and bad times,” said Smith.
Pastor Jackson not only left an impact on his church community but also across the state.
Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons issued a statement of condolence and said Jackson was a personal friend and a “larger-than-life presence who was steadfast in his advocacy for social and racial justice.”
“Rev. Jackson was a pillar in the Stamford community and led a life devoted to faith and public service,” she wrote.
The state police report did not include any details of the call Lockwood was responding to and did not say how fast he was driving. No charges had been filed Thursday.
The officer's union, the Stamford Police Association, posted on Facebook, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by this terrible tragedy.”
Anyone who may have witnessed this collision or the moments prior to the collision is asked to contact Detective Corey Clabby at corey.clabby@ct.gov or Detective Ryan Hackett at ryan.hackett@ct.gov.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DeAndria Turner is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. She can be reached at dturner@fox61.com.
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