A former Mount Vernon police official is facing serious criminal charges after multiple New York news outlets reported that investigators believe she helped her son flee the scene of a Bronx shooting.
According to reporting from the New York Daily News, ABC7 New York, and the New York Post, Jennifer Lackard was arrested Tuesday alongside her 20-year-old son, Chase Lackard, in connection with a June 29 shooting near the Bronx Criminal Courthouse.
The outlets report that Jennifer Lackard, 49, and her son were taken into custody Tuesday morning at their Bronx home and charged with attempted murder, attempted assault, criminal possession of a firearm, conspiracy, and reckless endangerment. ABC7 New York reported that investigators believe Chase Lackard opened fire near East 162nd Street and Grand Avenue while targeting a man associated with a rival gang, while police allege Jennifer Lackard helped him leave the scene afterward.
No injuries were reported in the shooting, according to the reports.
Mount Vernon Confirms Charges And Terminates Lackard
The Mount Vernon Police Department later issued an official statement acknowledging that the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office had filed criminal charges against Lackard and announcing that the city had terminated her employment effective immediately.
“Effective immediately, the City of Mount Vernon has terminated Jennifer Lackard’s employment,” the department said.
The statement identified Lackard as the former Deputy Commissioner of Wellness rather than Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, the title used by several news outlets. The department said the allegations were unrelated to Lackard’s official duties and did not involve conduct associated with the department or the performance of her responsibilities.
Mount Vernon officials also said the department’s Wellness Unit would continue operating without interruption. Because the case is being prosecuted by the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, the department said it would not comment on the underlying allegations.
While the statement officially confirms the charges and Lackard’s termination, it does not explain the evidence investigators believe connects her to the June 29 shooting. As of publication, neither the NYPD nor the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office had publicly released charging documents providing a detailed account of the case.
Chase Lackard Has Been Linked To Previous Gang-Related Incidents
The latest arrest is not the first time Chase Lackard has appeared in New York news coverage, and several reports about Tuesday’s arrests reference his previously documented encounters involving guns, gang disputes, and law enforcement.
The Daily News, ABC7 New York, and other local outlets have reported that authorities identified Chase Lackard as a reputed member of the “Slutty Gang,” a Bronx group previously mentioned in law enforcement investigations and reporting about neighborhood gang tensions.
In November 2024, Chase Lackard was shot by NYPD officers in Soundview after police said he pointed a loaded handgun at officers responding to a dispute. According to reporting from News 12 and the Daily News, investigators said Lackard was carrying a loaded 9mm pistol during that encounter.
The Daily News reported that he had been arrested on a separate gun possession charge approximately three months before the police shooting and was granted supervised release.
Chase Lackard was also shot in the chest on a BX5 bus in Soundview in 2023. Reporting at the time said the confrontation began after Lackard allegedly displayed gang signs, questioned several other youths about their gang affiliation, and attempted to pull one of them from the bus. One of the youths then allegedly shot him.
Those earlier incidents are separate from the charges filed in the June 29 shooting investigation. However, the documented history provides context for reports that police believe the latest gunfire was connected to an ongoing gang dispute.
Residents React Online
The arrests quickly became a major topic of discussion on Mount Vernon social media pages, where many commenters expressed disbelief that a police department executive would find herself facing the same charges as her son.
Some residents argued that investigators likely possess substantial evidence if they were willing to arrest a high-ranking police official on attempted murder-related charges. Others urged caution, noting that the allegations have not yet been tested in court and questioning whether the full account of what happened has been made public.
Much of the discussion also focused on broader frustration with Mount Vernon’s city government. Some commenters pointed to what they described as a growing series of scandals involving city employees, while others called for city and police officials to provide more information about the allegations and the circumstances surrounding Lackard’s employment.
This is a developing story. Guessing Headlights will update this article as additional information, court records, charging documents, or statements from prosecutors become available.
Jennifer Lackard and Chase Lackard are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.