Police Officer Mark Hayden Larson, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Florida

Police Officer Mark Hayden Larson

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Florida

End of Watch Monday, March 24, 2014

Mark Hayden Larson

Police Officer Mark Larson succumbed to injuries sustained on January 25th, 1993, when he was intentionally dragged by a vehicle during a traffic stop.

Officer Larson had been flagged down by a female who informed that a man had attempted to force her into the woods. She pointed out the vehicle, which Officer Larson then stopped. While speaking to the driver the man grabbed Officer Larson's arm as he accelerated from the scene. Officer Larson was able draw his weapon and shot the subject multiple times. The man then rammed Officer Larson into a guardrail, near the intersection of Edgewood Avenue & Avenue B, breaking both of his legs and nearly severing his arm before he was thrown into a ditch.

The subject continued to flee but crashed into a nearby tree where he died from the gunshot wounds.

Officer Larson was transported to a nearby hospital where his arm was amputated. He was forced to medically retire and his health continued to deteriorate. He succumbed to complications from the original injury on March 24th, 2014, and his death was subsequently ruled a homicide.

Officer Larson was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served in law enforcement for eight years. He was survived by his wife and son.

Bio

Age 50
Tour 8 years
Badge 6962
Military Veteran

Incident Details

Cause Vehicular assault
Incident Date Monday, January 25, 1993
Weapon Automobile
Offender Shot and killed

Most Recent Reflection

View all 134 Reflections

I remember the night that Mark was injured as though it were yesterday. My car was in the shop and I was riding the Bravo watch with David Price ( Deceased). We were at the service station at Edgewood Ave. and Moncrief Rd. When Mark stopped the suspect vehicle and asked for a back up. We immeadiatly left and went the long block to the scene of the traffic stop. What we found was Mark's car with the drivers door open and the Blue lights engaged. The Officer and Suspect vehicle were missing. We dispatched the information and in an effort to cover more area in our search I marked the location of Mark's patrol car and took it to use in the search for him.
At almost the same time an accident with injuries went out at Reastlawn Dr. and Moncrief Rd. Officer Price and I each took a side of the roadway in our search for Mark without finding anything. Upon arrival the suspect vehicle was found on the westside of Restlawn Dr. Several Officers were around the car and I observed the driver partially behind the wheel and the fact that he had several gunshot wounds in the chest area. Officers at the scene had called rescue for the suspect. Officer Price and I checked under and around the suspect's car and could not find Mark. We then began a search from the suspect's car back toward the original stop. I found both of Mark's shoes in the intersection,still tied and strangely next to each other as if he had taken then off and set them neatly side by side. (strange sight) Officer Price found Mark's radio in the dirt next to the guardrail and when he looked into the twenty foot deep ditch he found Mark at the bottom.
I could hear Rescue responding to the suspect and when it approached the intersection I diverted it to help Mark. Rescue called for another rescue, however the suspect expired prior to its arrival.

I did not know Mark, but he was my Brother. I was sad when he was injured and again when he succumbed to complications from the original injury many years later. May God bless Mark and keep him in his warm, loving arms.

Patrolman Jerrold M. Blount (Retired)
JSO

March 26, 2018