PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia prison guard will be fired later this month following an internal investigation into the murder of 20-year-old Rodney Hargrove, who was killed on prison grounds in Holmesburg moments after he was released.
The guard, who is not being named, was in charge of manning the gate at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility around 1 a.m. on March 18, 2021. Hargrove had just been released, and he was dropped off near a SEPTA bus stop on State Road, as is part of the protocol.
That’s when a car came speeding up to him. Hargrove ran back to the prison. The main gate was up, which allowed the car to drive straight into the property after Hargrove. Eventually, officials said, someone inside the car fired several rounds and killed him.
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Months later, 16-year-old Ameen Hurst was charged with his murder, which police believe was a case of mistaken identity.
Sources say the guard left his post and left the exit gate arm in the up position. There was a lengthy investigation, and the guard in question gave different accounts of where he was at that time.
When police reviewed surveillance video, they corroborated what happened, which led to the guard’s firing.
A spokesperson for the prison guard union said it will continue to support the guard as he appeals the decision but did not want to speak further, as union officials are also continuing to look into the case.
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