Sacramento police officer convicted of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter
SACRAMENTO - A Sacramento police officer was convicted of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence in a 2022 crash that killed a motorcyclist, the Sacramento County District Attorney announced on Thursday.
The district attorney's office said Sacramento Police Officer Benjamin Jillson pled to an offer made by the court for 90 days in county jail, which is suspended pending the successful completion of 100 hours of community service involving veterans' services.
The family of 61-year-old Denzil Oilen Broadhurst, the man who died in the crash, requested that the community service involve the veterans' service in honor of Broadhurst.
The crash happened nearly one year ago, on Halloween night 2022. The district attorney's office said Jillison, driving his patrol vehicle near May and Bell streets, turned around onto westbound Bell Road in Rio Lindo. Broadhurst was riding his motorcycle west on Bell Road and tried to brake when Jillson's patrol vehicle drove in front of him, according to prosecutors.
The two vehicles crashed and Broadhurst was rushed to the hospital where he later died.
After detectives said they found facts to support the vehicular manslaughter against Jillsom, they issued a warrant and Jillson turned himself in to the Sacramento Sheriff's Office.
"The family remains devastated over the loss of Denzil," said Robert Glassman of Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP, attorney for the Broadhurst family. "They can now at least put the criminal and civil cases behind them and move forward with the healing process. They also thank the District Attorney for pursuing this case against the officer who killed Denzil which today resulted in a conviction of vehicular manslaughter."
A previous statement from the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office stated Jillson was a former officer. The Sacramento Police Department clarified Jillson is still with the department, but there is an internal investigation. This article has been updated to reflect Jillson is still with the department.
