The man who caused the car crash that killed a Henrico Police Officer last year has given an Alford plea, meaning he has pled guilty despite maintaining his innocence.
Jeffrey Lankford, who was 18 when the crash occurred, has pled guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor reckless driving. The crash occurred on the evening of March 30, 2022, at the intersection of Chamberlain and Wilkinson in Henrico. Officer Trey Sutton, a recent police academy graduate, was driving the cruiser, with officer Greg Petrohovich in the passenger seat and a suspect in the back seat, when they were hit by a truck. Sutton was killed, and both passengers were seriously injured.
Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor said that Lankford caused the crash when he "ran a red light at excessive speed." Despite the guilty plea, Lankford was not given any jail time. Instead, he was sentenced to 2 months of house arrest and 200 hours of community service. His driver's license was also suspended.