A Mount Vernon deputy police commissioner has been arrested alongside her son in connection with a gang-related shooting in New York City, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
Jennifer Lackard, a deputy police commissioner with the Mount Vernon Police Department, and her son Chase Lackard, 20, were taken into custody at their home early Tuesday morning. Both face charges including attempted murder, attempted assault, criminal possession of a firearm, conspiracy, and reckless endangerment, according to police sources.
The incident traces back to a late-June shooting near the Bronx Criminal Court, where Chase Lackard allegedly fired at rival gang members. Authorities said Chase fled the scene and entered his mother’s vehicle, which she then drove away. No injuries were reported in the shooting.
The Mount Vernon Police Department confirmed Lackard’s termination, stating in a social media post that the allegations were unrelated to her official duties. The department added that the conduct did not stem from any actions associated with her role or the performance of her responsibilities.
Chase Lackard has a prior criminal record, including a 2024 shooting by police after he allegedly brandished a firearm during an altercation. In 2023, he was shot in the chest by three youths during a dispute on a bus, an incident reportedly linked to his alleged affiliation with the "Slutty Gang," according to the New York Post.
Authorities have not disclosed additional details about the investigation, including the motivation behind the shooting or the specific gang affiliations involved.