Police officer who hit, killed jogger charged

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County Police Department says it has charged an officer who hit and killed a woman jogging in a neighborhood in July.

Officer Ian MacGowan was charged with homicide by vehicle, reckless driving, speeding and failure to maintain a lane in the death of 66-year-old Janet Pickney.

Channel 2's Liz Artz was at the news conference Monday where officials explained the findings of their investigation.

DeKalb Police Chief James Conroy said speed was a contributing factor.

"Police officers are often under scrutiny by the public asking for faster response times, and that's exactly what was going on, getting to a call too quickly," Conroy said Monday.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Missing DeKalb County woman disappeared while house-sitting
• Man says he nearly died from flesh-eating bacteria after beach trip
• Gov. Nathan Deal unveils new Martin Luther King Jr. statue

Investigators said a car pulled out in front of MacGowen, who was driving on Chamblee Tucker Road in DeKalb County on July 25, causing him to swerve into Pickney.

MacGowen's cruiser then slammed into a house. The four-year veteran was seriously injured.

Pickney was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died hours later.

"I held her hand for more than 12 hours. I talked to her. She died at 11:20 that night," said Ed Pickney, Janet Pickney's husband.

Ed Pickney said he believes his wife was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"If the car hadn't stopped in front of him, if he had his red lights and sirens on, if Janet had been 5 feet one way or the other, she'd still be alive," Ed Pickney said.

Cox Media Group