JACKSON, MI — What should have been a simple moving violation committed by countless motorists every day became a tragedy for Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Davis’ family. “Nothing will ever prepare you for widowhood, especially at 27 years old,” Alexandra Davis, Chris Davis’s wife, said. “I wake up every day and I have to remind myself that Chris wasn’t at work and isn’t going to be walking in the door. I hate having to tell myself that my husband will never be coming home. Ten months later and I still feel like I’m living in a God awful nightmare.” Chris Davis, riding a motorcycle, died after Jack Henry Pierson rolled through a stop sign May 25, 2024 in Waterloo Township. Pierson pulled out into the intersection and Davis struck the side of Pierson’s SUV. Jackson County District Judge Robert Gaecke sentenced Pierson Monday, March 17, to two years of probation, 200 hours of community service and a suspended sentence of one year in jail, the max jail time allowed for the charge. He will not serve the jail time if he complies with court orders. Related: Details revealed in motorcycle crash that killed off-duty deputy Pierson pleaded guilty as charged to to a misdemeanor count of a moving violation causing death. “I think (Pierson) did something probably everybody in this room had done, but the stars were just in alignment on this day and time and we got a dead person. That’s not fair,” Gaecke said. For his community service, Pierson must volunteer 200 hours at a homeless shelter, a drug rehabilitation facility or work with an agency that helps wildlife because these were all charities Chris Davis cared for, Gaecke said. “The choice or decision to not come to a complete stop and roll through an intersection, to hit the accelerator, led to the loss of Mr. Davis life,” Jackson County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Justin Griffis said. “This case is one of those where an instant in time affects a lot of different lives. It shows that one minor decision or choice leads to a ripple effect that can change the lives of a lot of people.” Pierson, 29, said he is remorseful for what happened and apologized to the family for failing to stop at the intersection. “I am truly sorry about the event that happened. I know it was my fault. If this could be the one do over I have in life I would take it,” Pierson said. “I really wish I would have met him. There’s not a day goes by where I don’t think about the Davis family and friends and how much he’s impacted the community and how much everyone’s been missing him.” Chris Davis, 27, was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle east on Seymour Road when, at about 5:26 p.m., it hit the passenger side of the Black Cadillac SUV going south on Mount Hope Road, according to a Michigan State Police report obtained by MLive/the Jackson Citizen Patriot through a Freedom of Information Act request Davis was not wearing a helmet, police reported. He died on the way to the hospital, police reported. “I hope every time you get behind that wheel and see my brother’s face right before you pulled out in front of him,” Matthew Davis, Chris Davis’s brother, said. “I hope you remember this day every day like it’s a nightmare, just like we do.” Pierson told investigators he was on his way to his parents’ house after a golf outing in Howell. He was not familiar with the area and was using GPS, which took him on an unfamiliar route, the report states. He said he stopped at the stop sign and didn’t see anything. He only saw the motorcycle in his peripheral vision right before impact. He got out of his car, saw Davis injured on the road and called 911 while other motorists stopped to help as well, according to the report. However, the SUV’s crash data recorder logged that the driver did not make a complete stop at the stop sign, instead slowing to 10 mph before pressing the accelerator again, signifying more of a “rolling stop,” the report states. According to the crash investigator’s calculation, Pierson was 1.5 to 2 seconds from impact when he entered the intersection, the report states. Davis excelled at the police academy, worked tirelessly when he became a full-fledged deputy in August 2022 and, in July 2023, showed courage in the face of danger when an armed homicide suspect crashed his way back into a murder scene, Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette said. His family placed a memorial for him at the intersection where he died. Related: Jackson deputy killed in crash remembered for bravery, dedication to duty Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Jackson” daily newsletter.