Editor’ note: This article is by Jennifer Hersey Cleveland of The Caledonian Record, in which it was first published Sept. 30, 2014.
NEWPORT CITY — A man who allegedly stole three vehicles, led police on a 13-mile high-speed chase from West Burke to Barton, and rammed two cruisers before being shot repeatedly by police in May is facing life in prison if convicted of just one of the charges filed against him in Orleans County.
State’s Attorney Alan Franklin added a habitual offender enhancement to four out of five felonies charged.
The affidavit, filed by Det. Barbara Zonay, indicates that Jackson hit Sergeant Denis Girouard’s cruiser three times and Trooper Seth Loomis’ cruiser once, causing $10,000 in damage.
The affidavit also serves as the police officers’ justification for firing multiple shots at Jackson. Zonay described the fear of death both officers felt at the time, and how Girouard reacted when Jackson allegedly drove a stolen Jeep directly at his body.
Other counts deal with Jackson’s alleged burglary of J.P. Sicard’s garage in South Barton, the damage to the cruisers, and Jackson’s alleged possession of a set of keys stolen from Seth’s Auto in Caledonia County. Jackson allegedly stole and wrecked a van from Seth’s Auto on Underpass Road in Sutton, where Seth’s Auto’s stolen safe was located as well.
Jackson allegedly stole and rolled a service truck from Sicard’s as well, but the Orleans County charges do not address that alleged offense, described by Trooper Ben Shelp in his affidavit. Owner Jason Sicard said it would cost a minimum of $60,000 to replace the truck and all of the damaged equipment and upwards of $5,000 to repair other damage that occurred when Jackson allegedly drove a truck out of the locked garage, driving it through the door while pushing another truck.
The theft of Sonya Clayton’s Jeep, the one Jackson allegedly used to ram the cruisers, took place in Sutton, hence the Caledonia County state’s attorney’s office will handle that alleged offense.
Jackson was wanted for escape at the time of the May 28 events. Zonay wrote that Jackson fled from his probation officer’s office May 15 after testing positive for buprenorphine, cocaine and opiates. Caledonia County State’s Attorney Lisa Warren promptly filed the charge, Zonay wrote, “however due to unknown delays or oversight” the arrest warrant was not issued until the day of the incident.
Franklin also filed a motion to change venue to Caledonia County, saying all of the alleged offenses took place as part of the same series of events and should all be prosecuted in the same county.
Jackson is being held at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield.
Harrowing Chase At High Speeds
After being alerted to the auto theft by her boyfriend, Clayton reported it to the state police at 2 a.m. May 28, Zonay wrote.
At the time, Loomis, Girouard and Trooper Chris Pilner were already investigating the crashed van on Underpass Road. Loomis began following the Jeep in West Burke when it was making a turn onto Depot Street. When he turned on his blue lights, the Jeep took off, traveling at speeds up to 100 miles per hour on Burke Hill Road, Calendar Brook Road, and Underpass Road, which is “hilly and curvy, with steep drop offs and no guardrails,” Zonay wrote.
Girouard was in the process of getting a wrecker to remove the van when the chase passed by him. On U.S. 5, at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, Jackson was allegedly swerving all over the road, at times traveling completely in the lane for oncoming traffic.
In Barton Village, Jackson turned onto Elm Street, which turns into Burton Hill Rd. Jackson slammed on his brakes and stopped, forcing Girouard to stop to avoid hitting the Jeep. At one point, Girouard got a good look at the driver in the side mirror and tentatively identified him as Jackson.
That heightened his concern and awareness, Zonay wrote, as he was aware that Jackson can be dangerous, uses drugs, is a burglar, and was wanted for escape.
Jackson turned, and Girouard was able to positively identify him. Jackson stopped again, but backed toward Girouard’s cruiser and allegedly attempted to hit it.
The next time Jackson stopped, Girouard tried to get out of the way, but the Jeep struck the passenger side of his cruiser. As Girouard stopped, Jackson hit his cruiser again, “violently,” Zonay wrote.
Loomis saw this, and went slightly right, but Jackson accelerated in reverse, ramming the front of his cruiser so hard that the hood folded up, his windshield camera was knocked loose, and Jackson’s vehicle ended up over the top of the hood.
“He advised that he thought that he was going to be killed right there. He did not even put the car in park but had his gun out and got out of his cruiser,” Zonay wrote.
That’s when Girouard saw the Jeep coming right at his body. “Sgt Girouard thought the suspect was going to run him over and kill him,” Zonay wrote.
Girouard began firing shots. He saw the windshield break and Jackson’s body react, but the Jeep started backing up again.
“He advised that the suspect was trying to get away and didn’t care how he was going to do it,” Zonay wrote.
Jackson was still an imminent threat to the officers, and with nowhere for the officers to find refuge, both Girouard and Loomis fired shots until they saw Jackson slump down in his seat, unable to move, the affidavit said.
