Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Bert Hard was shot and killed while raiding a gambling den with other deputies near Arcadia, Florida.
The man opened fire on the officers with a Winchester rifle, striking Deputy Hard in the abdomen. The suspect who shot him was captured by an angry mob and lynched after being held by the mob for one week.
Deputy Hard had been sworn in on the day he was murdered to assist with keeping order while a visiting circus was in town.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-F1A1E530- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Hard served with the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Arcadia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Herbert Julius Hard is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At DeSoto County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Herbert Julius Hard's cause is highlighted.
How Herbert Julius Hard Compares
Offender Outcome
Lynched
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Herbert Julius Hard is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Herbert Julius Hard was killed by rifle; winchester.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from DeSoto County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
