A routine trip to pick up his parents at the airport turned fatal when a Fridley, Minn. man died after he was tased by a state trooper.
Mark Backlund's parents were picking up their luggage at the airport after being in Florida when they got a call from one of Mark's friends informing them that their son was dead.
"I'm shocked and I just really don't believe it," said Mark Backlund's sister Melie Backlund Moe.
Mark Backlund's family is struggling to deal with the sudden, unexpected loss.
"We miss him, I miss him as a friend and a father," said his father, Gordon Backlund.
"I lost one of my friends, not just my brother," said Melie Backlund.
Mark recently moved back to Minnesota from California and lived with his parents.
"It's hard to lose a child," said Gordon Backlund.
Mark Backlund was driving on Interstate 694 in New Brighton during Tuesday evening rush hour when he crashed. When troopers arrived on the scene, they said he was uncooperative.
"Troopers intended to bring the situation and the individual under control and in the process applied a Taser. Following the incident the driver was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead," said Minnesota State patrol Lt. Mark Peterson.
Mark Backlund's family doesn't want to dwell on how he died, they say now is the time to focus on how he lived.
"He was a caring individual, Mark loved life, he was happy. He was kind of a kidder," said Gordon.
"He has one of the biggest hearts of anybody. He would do anything for any of his friends or family. He was a really loyal person," said Melie.
He was also a loving father to 2-year-old Nathaniel.
"His son was so important to him. And I'm just really devastated that his son won't get to know him now how we know Mark. And he won't have those memories that we have of him," Melie said.
Mark's family said they weren't aware of any heart condition or drug or alcohol problem which could have contributed to his death.
He does have a minor criminal history but nothing which would indicate a propensity for violent behavior.
The cause of Mark's death is yet to be determined, pending the results of an autopsy.
The five troopers involved have been on administrative leave since the incident, as is standard procedure.
They are Wade Erickson, trooper since October 1999; Jon Froemke, trooper since December 2007; Brian Helget, trooper since December 2007; Tim Koehler, trooper since May 2000, and Troy McCormack, trooper since June 1994.
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