MUSTANG – Five police officers who were involved in the fatal shooting of a Yukon man in June have been cleared, Police Chief Rob Groseclose said.
Benjamin Harold Ballard, 42, was shot and killed in a parking lot at SW 59 and Mustang Road about 6:45 p.m. Friday, June 5, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation reported.
A Mustang patrol car dashcam video taken of the shooting was shown during a news conference at Mustang’s police station Thursday. The dashcam video did not have sound, but shows officers struggling with Ballard who won’t get out of his vehicle and has a gun.
Groseclose said the OSBI and Canadian County District Attorney ruled the officers were justified.
“It is heart-breaking for the family and there are six families who have been affected by this event. And not only the families of our five police officers but the family of the suspect,” Groseclose said.
The officers involved were identified as Capt. John Gibson, Sgt. David Hanson, Sgt. William Carpenter, Sgt. Ben Brauer and officer Ben Trujillo.
Ballard refused to get out of his vehicle and during a struggle, pulled a gun on the officers. One officer used a Taser on Ballard.
Ballard had been charged in Kingfisher County District Court in March with misdemeanor possession of a firearm while intoxicated and public intoxication.
Groseclose said an open container of beer was in Ballard’s vehicle and more cans of beer were inside it.
Ballard was arrested March 3 by Kingfisher police at Atwood’s, where Ballard had a .380 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol, the charge alleges.
