Sledge Hammer (born Marland Anderson) was a body builder and pornographic actor. He started in the business in 1997 and performed in over 1000 movies until his death in 2012.
Hammer suffered from depression and mild schizophrenia, according to girlfriend Alexa Cruz, and on the evening of April 8, 2012, Hammer became extremely paranoid and anxious, and had cut himself. Cruz called for an ambulance, with police also arriving. Initially calm, Hammer was loaded into an ambulance but his anxiety increased and he asked to be released. Paramedics returned him to his apartment where police were still present, and a scuffle broke out which lead to Hammer being tazed. Hammer fell into cardiac arrest, and while he was eventually revived at the hospital, his heart had stopped beating for approximately 10 minutes, leading to swelling of the brain and a coma. Hammer's mother, informed of the brain damage, had his respirator removed and he passed away on April 13, 2012.