It was a somber scene on the Wilmington riverfront Friday morning for state trooper Cpl. Stephen Ballard’s memorial ceremony.
Hundreds of state troopers and law enforcement officers began taking formation outside the Chase Center around 7:30 in the morning.
They waited in the rain until around 8:30 when the procession with Cpl. Ballard’s body arrived. After driving under an American flag held up by two cranes – troopers stood at attention while bagpipe music played.
After Ballard was escorted into the Chase Center – the public, including family friend Rakim El 'Amin, had a chance to pay their respects.
“It’s been hard…it’s been hard," El 'Amin said.
He remembers Ballard as a diplomatic man.
“Just his personality, just the way that he loved helping people and the individuals," El 'Amin said. "A peacemaker- always a peacemaker so that was the part.”
And while Ballard attended Delaware State and El ‘Amin went to Florida A&M - the two would often play basketball together. El ‘Amin says Ballard was always the one to resolve any rivalries.
“I remember a time where a couple of friends from down home at Del State, we had beat them and they didn’t take it too well," El 'Amin said. "And he was like, look – man it’s all the same school.”
Ballard was laid to rest in a private ceremony for family and law enforcement Friday afternoon in New Castle.
