What did Chase Harder do? Charges explored as Florida detention officer arrested in fatal Coral Springs shooting

Chase Harder, a 21-year-old Fort Lauderdale detention officer, has been arrested after shooting a victim to death. On Tuesday, August 15, Harder shot a man multiple times in the 9200 block of Ramblewood Drive before fleeing with a child over his shoulder. According to authorities, the child's father reported that the suspect later dropped the child off at his residence around 11:30 pm the same night. Later, Harder allegedly contacted the police and handed himself in.

Harder has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of written threats to kill or do bodily injury. The detention officer was further placed on administrative leave after the allegations were made against him. As per Detective Ali Adamson, a spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Chase Harder has been working in the office since 2022.

"As a result of this arrest, Harder has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending further investigation," Adamson stated.

Law enforcement officials discovered that the victim had sustained several gunshot wounds after arriving at the location.

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Detention officer Chase Harder has been arrested in connection to the Tuesday shooting

On Tuesday, August 15, at about 8:30 pm local time, officials received a report of a shooting at 9267 Ramblewood Drive in the MAA Coral Springs rental community. According to a witness' account, Harder was seen carrying a child over his shoulder while running to a white Mercedes-Benz after the shooting.

"One of the callers reported that he heard four gunshots and then observed a white male, later identified as Chase Harder, carrying a child over his shoulder, run to a white Mercedes SUV, and flee the parking lot," police said.

However, according to the Coral Springs Police Department, the biological father of the child reported that Harder dropped off the child at around 11 pm local time. A day later, on Wednesday, August 16, detectives announced that Chase Harder had been apprehended. Authorities have yet to reveal the motive behind the shooting.

Coral Springs Police Department released a statement regarding the shooting, saying,

"Harder later contacted the Coral Springs Police Department to turn himself in and was subsequently arrested in the lobby of our police station. When detectives were interviewing Harder, he confessed to the incident."

The statement further read,

"The details surrounding these allegations are very difficult to hear and do not reflect the character and professionalism expected of the men and women of our agency.,We extend our deepest condolences to those affected by this horrific incident."

Deputies detained Harder at the Broward County main jail on Wednesday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale without bond. Authorities have urged the public to reach out to Broward County Crime Stoppers if they have any information or have witnessed the alleged shooting that took place on Tuesday. The case is currently under investigation.