Remembering a Fallen Hero

On January 21, 2002, family and friends said goodbye to Baltimore County Police Sergeant Mark Parry, who tragically died in the line of duty. Sgt. Parry was scheduled to be off on December 27, 2001, but he willingly volunteered to work, knowing there was a need for additional patrols. While driving his unmarked police vehicle along Joppa Road that evening in Towson, he was struck by a drunk driver. The individual responsible did not provide aid or remain at the scene. Although the driver was eventually arrested, charged, and sentenced, the lives of those closest to Sgt. Parry were forever changed by the tragic event. At the time of his death, Sgt. Parry was happily married and the father of three children. To honor his sacrifice, members of the Baltimore County Police Department are wearing a memorial ribbon bar on their uniforms or a mourning band on their badges. Sgt. Parry's name is inscribed alongside those of other fallen heroes on a monument located at Patriot Plaza in Towson.