Robert Ball, a 58-year-old Black male and dedicated public servant, had spent nearly a decade serving as a reserve officer with the Highland Park Police Department. In late August of 2016, he was off-duty and enjoying a summer night at a neighborhood block party on Detroit’s east side. The gathering, held on the 19000 block of Teppert Street, was meant to be a festive community occasion, but the atmosphere was shattered in the early morning hours of August 28. Around 2:00 a.m., an unknown vehicle drove by the celebration, and an occupant inside opened fire on the crowd.
Ball was struck in the stomach during the drive-by shooting. Emergency responders rushed him to St. John Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. For several weeks, he fought for his life, remaining in critical but stable condition as family, friends, and fellow officers rallied around him. Despite initial hopes for his recovery, complications arose during his hospitalization. An infection set in that doctors were unable to stop, and his condition deteriorated. He succumbed to his injuries on October 14, 2016, nearly seven weeks after the initial attack.
Following the shooting, the Detroit Police Department launched an investigation into the incident. Authorities described the attack as a drive-by shooting but struggled to identify the individuals responsible. In the months immediately following the event, investigators reported that they had no suspects in custody and could not confirm if Ball was the intended target or an innocent bystander caught in the violence. No arrests were announced in the wake of his death, leaving the case without a resolved conclusion in the public reports from that time.
