Mark Ballard

How they died

Vehic/Purs

Was arrested after a robbery. Police say that he escaped from their cruiser by pulling his shackled arms from his back to his front and opening the back door of the police cruiser while going 30 miles per hour and then ran across the freeway, jumped a median, and was hit by an 18 wheeler. The family disputes this narrative, saying the autopsy showed that the 18 wheeler just clipped his shoulder, but he had already been severely beaten around the head and had grass stains. The family believes police were beating him and he blindly ran onto the freeway trying to escape them.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Mark Ballard, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources