Brevard County Sheriff's Office Corrections Deputy Jonathan “Keith” Hardin died Friday night in an off-duty motorcycle accident in Palm Bay, according to Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
The accident came just hours after a funeral service attracted more than 1,700 to honor another deputy, Kevin Stanton, a Field Training Officer, who died in an I-95 accident a week earlier.
According to Ivey on the official BCSO Facebook site, Hardin was a 10-year veteran of the agency who was hired as a Corrections Deputy Trainee on Oct. 1, 2007. He was sworn-in as Corrections Deputy on Feb. 9, 2008, after graduating from the Eastern Florida State College Criminal Justice Institute.
Ivey wrote that Hardin "is well-loved and known throughout the jail complex as having a big heart, always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need and someone you could always count on during challenging times. Keith took great pride in being a member of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and was valued member of the agency."
Hardin is preceded in death by his spouse, Patricia Creagh-Hardin, who was a retired Corrections Technician with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, according to Ivey, and is survived by his sister Jennifer Worthington, currently residing in Georgia; his brother Clifford Hardin, who lives in South Carolina, and two sons, Charles Hardin of Cocoa and Johnathan Hardin of South Carolina.
Ivey also wrote: "Please keep Keith and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and please know that while this has been an extremely tough week for our agency, our burden of grief has been lightened as much as possible by having the love and support of our entire community."
