“Fort Lauderdale Corrections Officer Arrested for First-Degree Murder; Victim’s Identity Withheld”

A Fort Lauderdale corrections officer was arrested for first-degree murder after being caught carrying a child and fleeing from a shooting. The officer, Chase Harder, surrendered and has been placed on administrative leave without pay. The details of the murder are unclear, and it is unknown what the relationship was between Harder and the victim. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department expressed shock at the allegations. Rafael Olmeda, South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported

A corrections officer in Fort Lauderdale has been apprehended on charges of first-degree murder after being witnessed fleeing the scene of a shooting while carrying a child. The suspect, 21-year-old Chase Harder, turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday evening. The victim’s identity has not been disclosed at the request of their family. Harder, who was employed as a detention officer by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in 2022, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. He is also a veteran of the Army Reserves.

The Coral Springs police have provided limited information regarding the murder, with multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots in the 9200 block of Ramblewood Drive at approximately 8:26 p.m. on Tuesday. Witnesses observed Harder fleeing the scene with a small child and entering a white Mercedes, which quickly left the area. Later, the child’s father contacted the authorities after Harder dropped off the child at his residence. Subsequently, Harder contacted the police and surrendered himself, as outlined in the police summary of events.

Currently, it remains unclear what the relationship between Harder and the victim, as well as the child and the child’s father, is. In December, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department acknowledged Harder’s accomplishment as the first graduate of the Broward College Institute of Public Safety’s Basic Corrections Academy in two decades. The department announced that Harder would be working in their Prisoner Intake Processing Facility.

Detective Ali Adamson expressed the department’s dismay in a press release, stating that the allegations against Harder are distressing and do not align with the expected character and professionalism of their personnel. As this is an ongoing investigation, updates will be provided as new information becomes available. To receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox, click here..