Nearly five years after Zachary reserve police officer and full time firefighter Chris Lawton was killed in the line of duty, justice has been served to the driver of a U-Haul who intentionally struck him with the vehicle while Ofc. Lawton was attempting to serve him with a warrant. Lawton was a Deputy Chief with the Zachary Fire Department who faithfully served the Zachary community for 20 years. The man that killed Ofc. Lawton has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, and will possibly face other charges that would extend his sentence.
Lawton was the first police officer in the history of Zachary’s department to be killed in the line of duty, and his death rocked the community. There is a memorial to Ofc. Lawton at the Hug Your People Park in Zachary’s Historic District.
