Shooting of Stephen Ballard

Corporal Stephen J. Ballard (1985 – 26 April 2017) was a Delaware State Police Officer. On 26 April 2017 Cpl Ballard was shot and killed after approaching a suspicious vehicle at a Wawa in Bear, Delaware.[1][2] Ballard was the first Delaware state police officer to be killed on duty since 1972.[3]

Shooting

Cpl Ballard was shot and killed on the 26 April after he approached a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of a Wawa gas-station in Bear, Delaware. After asking the driver and passenger in the car for identification, Ballard asked the passenger to step out of the car. The passenger, Burgon Sealy Jr., got into a struggle with Ballard, then began shooting at him. When Trooper Ballard who was unable to draw his weapon in time, attempted to find cover from Sealy, Sealy pursued and continued to shoot, hitting Ballard multiple times in the upper body and continuing to shoot even after the officer fell to the ground.[4]

Victim

Stephen Ballard was born in Bowie, Maryland in 1985. He graduated from Delaware State University in 2007 with a degree in Criminal Justice, after which he was recruited into the state police force academy. He graduated from the academy in 2009.[5] At the time of his death Ballard had served 8 years on the Delaware State Police Force.

Perpetrator shot and killed

Law enforcement officers trailed the shooter, Burgon Sealy (26), to his home on St. Michaels Drive in the Brick Mill Farm development of Middletown, Delaware; he barricaded himself inside the house and a standoff with police lasting several hours ensured. In the early morning hours of 27 April authorities breached the house by using explosive charges to open windows and attempted to persuade Sealy to surrender. He fired several rounds at the police, then exited the house and was shot by police and pronounced dead at the scene.[6][7]

Reactions

The death of Cpl Ballard resulted in an outpouring of support for law enforcement in northern Delaware. Thousands of locals placed blue tape on their car's rear windows in a sign of appreciation towards police.[8] Wawa donated 50,000 dollars to Ballard's family and set up donation drives at all of its Delaware locations.[9] WSFS Bank and M&T Bank establishments in the area displayed signs of support for Ballard. DART First State offered free rides to the funeral events honoring Ballard.[8]

On 5 May 2017 a large funeral honoring Ballard was held in Wilmington Delaware.[10][11] The ceremony at the Chase Center was attended by hundreds of police officers from Delaware and other states.[12] A funeral procession proceeded down Interstate 95 to New Castle, Delaware.[8] Cpl. Ballard was laid to rest in Gracelawn Memorial Cemetery.[8]

Delaware death penalty reinstatement

The shooting occurred shortly before Delaware legislators voted to postpone a vote on repealing the state's death penalty. Rep. Steve Smyk said that he believed support for reinstating the death penalty has increased with this murders of Ballard and of Delaware prison guard Steven Floyd.[13][14]

On May 9, 2017, Delaware House members voted to reinstate the death penalty citing Stephen's murder as one of the motivating reasons.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Delaware trooper killed at Bear Wawa". delawareonline. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  2. ↑ "Delaware says goodbye to Cpl. Stephen Ballard". delawareonline. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  3. ↑ McAneny, Amy Cherry/DJ. "VIDEO | Thousands paying tribute to fallen Delaware State Police trooper". WDEL 101.7FM. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  4. ↑ Rowan, Tommy (27 April 2017). "Suspect, shot dead after killing Delaware state trooper, is ID'd". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "Slain trooper's wife: He gave his life to his job". delawareonline. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  6. ↑ Winsor, Morgan (27 April 2017). "Suspect in killing of Delaware trooper ID'd after being shot dead in hourslong standoff". ABC News. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "No motive in Delaware trooper's fatal shooting, standoff". New York Daily News. AP. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Traffic advisories for Del. trooper's funeral; includes I-95 closures". 6abc Philadelphia. 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  9. ↑ "Wawa launches fundraiser for slain Del. state trooper's family with $50K donation". Philly.com. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  10. ↑ "Widow of Slain Trooper Speaks Out as Community Honors Him". NBC 10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  11. ↑ FOX. "Funeral for Cpl. Stephen Ballard to be held Friday". WTXF. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  12. ↑ "Mourners Gather for Trooper's Memorial Service". NBC 10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  13. ↑ Chase, Randall (4 May 2017). "Delaware House postpones vote on reinstating death penalty". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  14. ↑ Albright, Matthew (3 May 2017). "Delaware death penalty supporters pass first test". The News Journal. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  15. ↑ News, ABC. "Delaware House votes to reinstate death penalty". ABC News. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
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