In the early hours of a Monday morning in Yonkers, a dispute on a sidewalk escalated into a fatal encounter that ended the life of 41-year-old James Hardy. Just before 12:30 a.m. on August 11, 2025, police responded to a report of a shooting near 30 Cliff Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Hardy with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was quickly transported to a local hospital, but the injury proved to be too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
Hardy was a Black male.
Investigators from the Yonkers Police Major Case Squad and Crime Scene Unit determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence, but rather the culmination of a targeted dispute between Hardy and another individual. The argument, which took place on the sidewalk, ended when the suspect allegedly fired a single shot into Hardy's chest before fleeing the scene. The investigation swiftly led to the identification of a suspect.
Within 12 hours of the shooting, detectives had apprehended 28-year-old Xavier Palmer of Yonkers in connection with Hardy's death. Palmer was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both of which are felonies. Following his arrest, Palmer was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was then remanded to the Westchester County Jail as the case proceeded to be prosecuted by the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.
