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DRUNK IN PUBLIC
The Mark David Allen Story

Agitated...
"And I will because I AM..."

     Finding a place to rehabilitate Mark is a difficult prospect.  My research has shown that you cannot forcibly place someone in rehabilitation.  Even if the person has a brain injury, there are still many factors to be considered and many of those programs are voluntary. 
    
     I found that a lot of people like to complain about Mark, but rarely do these same people want to step up and commit resources to find a solution...
 
     Until Mark begins to exhibit truly sensational and harmful behavior;  holding a knife to his throat, attacking women or children or walking down the middle of the street--NAKED, have you ever notice how adding nudity to any situation automatically makes it "serious".  Until these types of things start to happen on a consistent basis, Mark will simply be "just another alcoholic." 
 

Mark reaches a new low point...
Is there anyone willing to help Mark?

     Because Mark doesn't have a dramatic or sensational mental illness (other than clincial depression, which is typically blamed on the alcoholism), he slips through the cracks.
 
     Declaring Mark gravely disabled or unable to care for himself appears to be an easier categorizable task.  Yet, this is where Mark becomes his own greatest enemy.  The only lasting skills Mark seems to possess (besides incredible endurance) is the ability to charm people and tell them exactly what they want to hear (i.e. "I'm goin' to an AA meeting right now). 
 
     Sometimes that's all a weary, beauracracy-based social worker needs to hear in order to set him free.  I sympathize...

     Now, it needs to be made clear, I'm not against Mark's ability to choose freely, but I'm beginning to realize, he's probably going to inadvertantly harm someone else.  It would not surprise me if he wandered into traffic and caused a major accident.  It would not surprise anyone that knows Mark.

Mark accepts the challenge...
An opportunity arises for Mark...

     After a number of recent drunk in public arrests and failed court appearances, the PD submitted a report and arrest history to Harbor Municipal Court.  A judge approved some alternate sentencing.  Mark was to be released from County Jail and given the chance to attend the Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Center in Anaheim.  It is a well respected treatment program. 
 
     If Mark fails this program or is re-arrested, he will be forced to finish the remainder of his original 270 sentence at county jail.  
 
     Hank Lamb of the "Pros & Cons Project" was contacted by the public defender's office to arrange and provide transportation for Mark from county jail to the Salvation Army's program...  

Hank Lamb & Mark David Allen outside County Jail.
I met Mark at OCJ...We drove him to the Salvation Army...

     Hank drove, Mark sat shotgun, and I rode in the back seat.  As the three of us left county jail, Mark seemed confused, thinking he was free.  He kept saying, as if trying to convince me, "I'm going to go to an AA meeting".  
 
     As we drove to the Salvation Army, Mark excitedly sang "More Than A Feeling" by Boston.  I was amazed how accurate Mark's memory was when it came to addresses and song lyrics.  Maybe he was aware of the opportunity ahead of him?

    Then again, I was also amazed at some of the things his memory was dropping.  There were even a couple of times when he didn't even recognize me, which was amazing because at this point, I had become his closest relationship.  Yet, there were other times when he heard my voice and happily called out, "Oh no, Officer Sperling!" 

      Although the Salvation Army initially agreed to accept Mark into their program (which is a 24-7, six month comittment that has jobs, dorms, education, counseling, chapel, and medical services), they backed out when they finally met Mark.  Their concerns had to do with Mark's seizure disorder.  I explained that his seizures were controllable with medication.  After a little negotiating and back and forth, they agreed to accept him.

Lee Decker enlists Mark in the Salvation Army...
The Salvation Army rises to the challenge...

     A few days later, I called and spoke with the counselors at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Anaheim.  They said Mark was making great progress and had really bonded with one of the counselors. 
 
     Unfortunately, the well-liked counselor left on Mark's 10th day.  Mark left on the 11th.  It also appeared that Mark also misunderstood the program.  I believe the moment he understood he could leave--He did leave.
 
     11 days later Mark left the program and was arrested again in for being drunk in public...

..."Because I AM..."
Mark is engraged...At himself...

     When I spoke to Mark the night he got picked up after leaving the Salavation Army, he seemed very angry--heavily in denial.  He seemed like the last person in the world that wanted to quit drinking.

     My assessement the night Mark left the Salvation Army was pretty accurate because he got arrested so often over the next few years that it was difficult to keep track.  He was averaging two arrests a week.  And many of his contacts with officers were medical aids, radio calls of a "man down" in the street.  Mark would arrive with his face torn up, his feet mangled, and his skin torched from passing out in the sun.  His face began to resemble a catcher's mit and his teeth became cauliflower like nubs of twisted decay.  Every time he came into the jail he was doing, "Just fine, officer!"

Mark looks toward a bleak future...
Will Mark ever fully de-rail?

     Mark's ability to survive almost any ordeal was put to the test one night in the jail when he had a seizure roughly 5 hours after he arrived.  He's usually got about 6 hours before he starts to have alcohol withdrawal issues.  For some reason, he had a seizure.  Maybe his blood alcohol level (BAC) was lower than it usually is when he is arrested?  Maybe he is now metabolizing alcohol differently?  The body of a chronic alcoholic brings with it many puzzles.  It's simply much too difficult to tell why Mark has a seizure on some days and on others he does not. 
 
     One thing is for certain; Mark's entire biological system is something to behold.  I've seen him come to jail with half his head smashed in, only to show up 2 weeks later and be nearly totally healed.  I can go after a pimple on my forehead and the scar will hang around for a month or more.
 
     Then again, with Mark, I've seen him downgrade real fast, too.  There are times that he gets released from county jail and he looks pretty good, but within two weeks, he looks like he's been digging graves with his face... 
 
     We all know that Mark's nutrition is a joke and he bakes in the sun for days at a time.  He doesn't wear sunscreen.  Furthermore, the constant ingestion of alcohol doesn't give him any bonus points in the health column.  What gives?  There is no doubt that Mark is special.  God surely wants him alive for a reason.

Mark seems to be trapped within himself...
Mark David Allen racks up the arrests in 2002...

     The night Mark had the seizure, I was working in the jail office and heard a "choking" sound over the intercom.  I moved down the hallway to investigate and found Mark on a bunk.  He was no longer seizing, but he was not breathing, either.
 
     I rolled him to his side, pryed open his muscle-clenched mouth and retrieved a wad of muck that had been blocking his throat...  I then opened and cleared his airway.  Moments later, he resumed breathing, albeit, shakily.  I notified the paramedics and they transported the broken and enigmatic king to the hospital...

     Mark returned 11 hours later, arrested again for being drunk in public.
 
     Mark's cognitive functioning continues to deteriorate.  He recently commented he was in the movie "Game Of Death" with Bruce Lee.  Often, he will want to keep the multiple layers of clothes he wears (all of them urine-soaked and nightmarishly filthy).  He also tends to be a bit of a label queen.  I've heard him make numerous comments about his "Ralph Lauren socks, Sperry top siders, Rolex watch and Armani jacket".  The truth of the matter is that Mark's wardrobe is strictly transient wear.

Mark says he trained with "B.L."...
Mark shows me his favorite move...

     Mark was arrested for being drunk in public again.  He had no explanations for his newly shaved head.  One of the jailers said they watched him eat a sandwich for lunch.  He then vomited the entire sandwhich onto the floor, looked at it, then re-ate the already digested sandwhich.  Later, Mark masturbated into his lunch tray.
 
     6 hours after Mark had been booked, he had a seizure.  He was in the process of being released.  While he was walking down the hallway, he seized and ping-ponged off the corner of a brick wall.  He then crashed to the concrete floor--Face first. 
 
     The paramedics transported Mark to the hospital.  When he returned 2 hours later to collect his belongings, he had massive knot on his forehead and a smile on his face.  He said it didn't even hurt.  He was then released without incident.
 
     Sometimes Mark's clothes smell so bad that it's hard to breathe in the same room with him.  His clothes are often urine-soaked.  Sometimes these are multiple week old urniations that enable his clothes to stand on their own. 
 
     Recently, Mark smelled so awful that one of the jailers actually used the fire safety breathing apparatus (on land scuba gear) just to book and release him...

Mark's mental faculties continue to fail...
Mark's continually melting mind is a mystery...

     Mark's monologues are getting stranger by the day.  Sometimes, he'll string a phrase together that makes absolutely no sense, like, "You seem like a sophisticated human being in my illogical jurisdiction, my friend."  Then sometimes he'll substitute "integrity" or "perspective" for "jurisdiction".  Mark will say the same phrase once every 2 or 3 minutes. 
 
     Mark has also added a very obscene phrase which he has begun throwning into conversations a few times every 6 hours.  If you stop him before he finishes the phrase, he pauses, then has to continue the phrase until he completes it.  All his phrases are followed by a maniacal cackle that sounds like a cross between a giggling baby and a leprechaun.

Mark arrives, full of song and glee...
Mark masks his agony with a song...

     Mark's most recent adventures involve him walking into the 30th Street laundromat.  Sometimes he just sleeps in there, other times he takes clothes, and yet other times, he removes strangers' clothes from the dryers, drops them on the floor and then urinates on them.  Mark will then curl up and go to sleep on the same clothes he just soaked with urine.  Needless to say, the owner of the laundromat is getting upset.  Apparently, this is not the first time this has happened.
 
     The laundromat's owner now has court issued restraining order against Mark.  If Mark enters the laundromat, he will be charged with 166.4PC (violation of a court order).  He will be arrested and transported to county jail.  The typical sentence expected to be handed to Mark for such a violation is 30 days (which means 10-20 because of their "early out" policies).

     Today, Mark was arrested for entering the laundromat (violating the restraining order).  Mark's attitude fluctuates regarding his presence in the laundromat.  I've heard he say he knows he's not supposed to be in there, but he says it in a fashion that implies it's simply something he's been told.  Does he truly understand this?  I'm not sure, because he appears to seem like a kid that's trying to give the "right" answer.  I don't see a lot of depth in his eyes when he talks about this.  Then there are times when Mark says he's never even been inside the laundromat...

"I'm not supposed to go in there..."
Mark claims his innocence...

     Mark was transported to County Jail...
 
     After serving 30 days (of a 60 day sentence), Mark got released and has been in and out of custody (drunk in public arrests) every few days for the last 3 weeks... 
 
   Mark has managed to stay out of the laundromat, but when he does violate the restraining order, it's one of the only times he can be sent him to county jail because they do not accept drunk in public arrests.  County jail also has medical facilities and can administer Mark his seizure medication.  

Mark marches on...To nowhere...
Many say Mark should be dead...

     Since Mark really is a medical phenomenon and technically should have been dead a long time ago, it is the department's policy to have him medically treated and cleared prior to booking him into the jail. 
 
     It is also the police department's policy not to administer medication to arrestee's while they are in custody.  They are either sent to the hospital or county jail, or released. 
 
     Essentially, Mark could repeat this process every 6-8 hours with some proficiency.  There are times he does manage to get arrested with amazing frequency.  This cycle continues until Mark misses a court date.  Then a warrant is issued.  Like the violation of the restraining order, county jail will also accept a warrant arrest, even for drunk in public.  So eventually, Mark ends up doing time in county jail.  
 
     Each trip to county jail is something Mark hates. 

Mark's frustration and anguish...Are obvious...
Mark actually tries to avoid jail...

     I have never seen Mark purposely get arrested to clean up and get "3 hots and a cot" like is often suggested... 
 
     For a man who doesn't remove his clothes to relieve himself and will anything living or dead, a trip to county jail is no reprieve.  Frankly, it's one of the few times Mark ever displays any anger around me.  As a free-spirit, jail is the Joker to his Batman...

Mark desires to be at one place only...
Mark is magnetically drawn to the ocean...

     Each trip is also another chance stop the alcoholic self-destruction.  With each catch and release, Mark forges his immorality with a process of drying out and re-generation. 
 
     As Mark would say, the enforced jail time that keeps him alive is the ultimate definition of an "Illogical Jurisdiction"...

3 mugshots in one month...August 2002
The changes Mark endures over a one month period...August 2002

     Mark was found unconscious near the beach by a concerned citizen.  The paramedics transported him to the hospital where he was medically cleared for booking.  Mark was administered some sort of anti-seizure medication which never really took effect.  The medication didn't take effect because when Mark arrived in the jail, Mark promptly puked. 
 
     I wondered if his medication was in his stomach long enough to be absorbed before he threw it up--Nope.  Within 5 minutes Mark let out a loud scream and was on the floor-Having a seizure.  It was the 4th time I've seen him have a seizure and the 2nd time I needed to intervene to keep him from dying.
 
     When Mark's seizure ended, once again, he couldn't breathe.  He was turning blue, fast.  When I tired to open his mouth, I found it locked.  Apparently, due to his body position and the seizure, the muscles hadn't relaxed.  His jaw was clenched, vise-like.  I continued to work the angles and adjust him. 
 
     Finally, I got his head tilted and his mouth open.  Still--NO AIR.  Mark's mouth and throat were clogged with goo (it was thick--a mixed batch of vomit, saliva and mucus).  His nose was plugged, too.  After some time, I broke through the organic amalgam and excavated the remaining contents of Mark's obstruction.  Mark resumed breathing.  Snoring, actually.  It sounded like the old bear cave at Disneyland on the way into Bear Country. 

Mark is transported to the E.R...Again.
Mark leaves on a stretcher...

     Minutes later, the paramedics arrived.  They recognized Mark from an hour earlier when they found him at the beach.  Mark was transported to Hoag Hospital for treatment, again.  Later that night he was out and back on the streets in search of another drink...
 
     A few days later, Mark was arrested for violating the restraining order at the laundromat again.  Apparently a number of court appearances had eclipsed because Mark also had 6 warrants for failing to appear on his 6 recent drunk in public arrests.  Mark was sent to county jail for the remainder of the year.  The way Mark's sentence ran, he would not return to Newport Beach until next year.  Mark desperately needed a New Year's resolution.

"I'm MDA, brah!"
MDA appears to be indestructible...

     It's the end of 2002 and Mark has put another year of self destruction in the books.  What will 2003 hold for him?  Maybe the medical panel on his blood levels will finally show some physical deterioration?  Will he meet everyone's expectations and finally die?  Or will he continue to keep, in his own words, "tyring his best"?  Whatever happens, Mark continues to create his legend.
 
     Mark is impervious to destruction... Unbreakable...  His endurance is phenomenal.  Mark David Allen lives his life with a ferocity and focus most people will never know.  And that, as strange as it sounds, is something I admire.

*
 
     Mark David Allen has contractually agreed to be covered by David J. Sperling of Furious Love Inc., on this website, in all recording formats, in the ongoing documentary, and in a book or any other written or photographic materials.
Created & Copyrighted by David J. Sperling