D.A.’s Office Looking Into Man’s Arrest and Lapse Into Coma in Jail

The Orange County district attorney’s office is investigating circumstances involved in the arrest by Huntington Beach police of a 23-year-old free-lance artist who lapsed into a coma shortly after being taken to jail Saturday.

Friends and family members have said that Mark Kevin Ross, who was listed in critical and guarded condition Wednesday at Pacifica Community Hospital in Huntington Beach, was beaten by the two officers who arrested him. Hospital officials said Ross now has minimal brain activity and is on a life-support system.

Huntington Beach police would not comment on the case.

“Because we asked the district attorney’s office to investigate this, it’s not our case anymore, and we cannot comment on it,” said Joanne Bonkowski, public information officer for the Huntington Beach police.

Passenger in Car

The district attorney’s office routinely handles investigations that involve police officers in Orange County when asked by police departments, Bonkowski said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Wallace J. Wade said Mark Ross was a passenger in a car driven by his brother, Robert Ross Jr., 27, that was pulled over at Newland Street and Ellis Avenue by police about 7:30 a.m. Saturday. He said that Ross resisted arrest after Officers Don Johnson and Heather Dreyer found that he had several warrants for traffic offenses.

“Apparently there was a struggle, and he either surrendered or was subdued,” Wade said.

Veronica Joyner, Mark Ross’ girlfriend, said that Robert Ross, who was not arrested, witnessed the police officers beating his brother with a club while holding him down.

“Robert said they were beating him up. There was no reason the police had to hold him down,” Joyner said. “He never asked for trouble, and he didn’t have to be hurt.”

No Comment From Family

Members of Ross’ family would not comment Wednesday.

After his arrest, Ross did not request--and did not seem to require--medical attention when he was processed at the Huntington Beach City Jail, Wade said. Later, Ross was found to be having difficulty breathing in his bunk and was sent to the hospital, Wade said.

A hospital doctor said Ross suffered a severe cardiac arrest that caused him to stop breathing, halting the flow of oxygen to his brain. Although Ross had a cut lip, there were no bruises or other marks on his face, the doctor said.

“Mark has thousands of friends, and we are all in shock,” said Joyner. “It’s just so sad. I don’t even have a picture of him.”