Mount Vernon Deputy Commissioner of Wellness Jennifer Lackard was fired Tuesday after New York authorities charged her with attempted murder and accused her of helping her son flee a shooting near the Bronx Criminal Courthouse.
Lackard, 49, and her 20-year-old son, Chase Lackard, were arrested Tuesday in connection with a June 29 shooting near East 162nd Street and Grand Avenue in the Bronx.
Police said officers responded shortly before midnight after receiving reports that shots had been fired and that the suspected gunman had left the area in a vehicle.
Investigators allege Chase Lackard fired a semiautomatic weapon at a group of people during a gang-related dispute.
Authorities said he was allegedly targeting an individual associated with a rival gang, but no one was struck or injured.
Prosecutors allege Jennifer Lackard was involved in her son’s escape from the scene.
Court records cited by local media indicate Chase Lackard allegedly sent his mother a message asking her to wait outside the courthouse.
Prosecutors said Jennifer Lackard responded that the timing had to be coordinated and that the vehicle could not remain directly outside, PIX11 reported.
Authorities allege Chase Lackard entered a vehicle after the shooting and that Jennifer Lackard drove away.
Prosecutors said the family later traveled to another location, where Chase Lackard allegedly changed clothes.
Court records also indicate James Lackard, Jennifer Lackard’s former husband and Chase Lackard’s father, was in the vehicle.
Jennifer Lackard and her son were each charged with attempted murder, attempted assault, criminal possession of a firearm, conspiracy, and reckless endangerment.
Jennifer Lackard pleaded not guilty during her arraignment Tuesday.
Her attorney told the court that she had devoted approximately two decades of her professional career to helping others and argued that the allegations presented by prosecutors did not reflect her life or work, according to ABC News.
The City of Mount Vernon announced that Jennifer Lackard’s employment had been terminated effective immediately.
She had served as the police department’s deputy commissioner of wellness and previously held other public safety leadership roles within the city.
City officials said the allegations were unrelated to Lackard’s responsibilities with the Mount Vernon Police Department and did not arise from her official duties.
The city said its Wellness Unit would continue operating without interruption and that services for officers, civilian employees, their families, and the community would remain available, FOX 5 New York reported.
The case is being prosecuted by the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office.
Mount Vernon officials said they would not provide further comment on the underlying allegations because the criminal case remains active. Jennifer Lackard is scheduled to return to court in September.
Chase Lackard has previously faced criminal allegations involving firearms.
Police said he was arrested in 2024 after allegedly pointing a loaded gun at officers in the Bronx. Officers fired at him during that encounter, and he was hospitalized in stable condition before facing weapons-related charges.
He was also reportedly arrested on a separate gun charge in 2024.
In 2023, when he was 17, Chase Lackard was shot in the chest during a reported dispute involving gang signs on a Bronx bus. A 14-year-old was later charged with attempted murder in that case, according to The Guardian.
Authorities have not reported any injuries from the June shooting.
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