Rehoboth Fellowship Church, a congregation in the US, is mourning the loss of its pastor after he was fatally struck and killed by a police unit.
Stamford Police Officer Zachary Lockwood was driving a police car on Wednesday afternoon when he hit 69-year-old pastor Tommie Jackson while crossing the street after picking up his mail from a post-box, according to a police report.
Pastor Jackson, the assistant director of the Urban Redevelopment Commission and the husband of a Stamford police commissioner, was immediately taken to hospital but died from his injuries.
Authorities have yet to disclose additional information regarding the call that Officer Lockwood was responding to and any other pertinent details concerning the accident.
Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons described pastor Jackson as a “pillar” in the community and praised devotion to “faith and public service”.
In a Facebook post, Stamford police said the church leader was a friend and adviser to many members of the police department.
"Pastor Tommie Jackson was such a beacon of light for so many in the Stamford community for the past 25-plus years. His steadfast commitment to serve those under the guidance of his pastorate extended far and wide.”
Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, a congregation pastor Jackson led from 1997 to 2007, also took to Facebook to extend their “sincere condolences to the family and parishioners of Rehoboth Church”.