This one has everything: a sorority connection, a six-figure government gig, a family road trip that ended in gunfire, and a Democratic mayor scrambling to explain it all.
Jennifer Lackard, a 49-year-old former Mount Vernon police official, got canned on Tuesday after prosecutors dropped bombshell charges against her, her husband James, and their 20-year-old son Chase. The allegations? She allegedly chauffeured her gang-connected kid to commit a drive-by shooting in the Bronx. And now, as first reported here, the juiciest part of this whole mess is spilling out. Lackard reportedly shares a sorority with Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. Both women belong to Delta Sigma Theta. They also worship at the same influential church, Grace Baptist, where pastor Rev. Franklyn Richardson holds significant political sway in the heavily blue city.
So how exactly did Lackard score a $125,000 position running the police department's brand new Wellness Unit without any traditional law enforcement credentials? That question is keeping City Hall up at night. Sources suggest Pastor Richardson may have greased the wheels, though his spokesperson refused to comment.
The mayor's office fired back with a flat denial, insisting there was zero personal connection between Patterson-Howard and Lackard before or during her employment. They claimed former Police Commissioner Glenn Scott handled the hire through normal channels. One small problem with that denial. A Facebook photo reportedly captured the two women grinning with their arms wrapped around each other at some event. Awkward!
Patterson-Howard defended the original hire by pointing to Lackard's roughly 15 years working in mental health and substance abuse services. She also claimed a thorough background check was completed, even though Lackard's husband James carries a federal drug conviction from the late 1990s.
Now let's talk about the alleged crime itself, because prosecutors painted an absolutely wild picture. On June 29, the family reportedly drove Chase to Bronx Hall of Justice for a court appearance tied to one of his multiple pending gun cases. After that hearing wrapped up, Chase allegedly hopped into the family Chrysler Pacifica, swapped outfits, and stayed inside while his parents circled the neighborhood. When a suspected rival gang member appeared, Chase allegedly opened fire from the vehicle but missed. Jennifer then allegedly served as the getaway driver.
All three Lackards now face charges including attempted murder, conspiracy, attempted assault, and weapons offenses. Authorities describe Chase as a reputed member of a gang called "Slutty Gang" who was already battling several gun cases across two boroughs.
Chase got held without bail. Jennifer posted $75,000 cash. James surrendered to police on Thursday and was held on $150,000 cash bail.
Before landing the Mount Vernon gig, the Lackards ran a North Carolina nonprofit called Ivy House Center for Self-Sufficiency that worked with criminal defendants dealing with mental health and addiction issues. Jennifer was CEO while James sat on the advisory board before the organization lost its funding.
Neighbors are absolutely floored. One told reporters the entire building is in shock. "We just knew Jennifer as someone who got up and went to work," the neighbor said, adding that most people on the block had no idea she even had a 20-year-old son.
Mount Vernon, a Democratic stronghold of about 72,000 residents bordering the Bronx, now faces extremely uncomfortable questions about political hiring, background checks, and just how tight the bonds are between City Hall and the woman accused of playing getaway driver for her own child.
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