On the afternoon of February 29, 2024, Drexel Mack, 41, was fatally shot while carrying out an eviction at a residence on North Elsea Smith Road in Independence, Missouri. Mack, a civil process server for the Jackson County Circuit Court, and another court employee had drilled out the locks after knocking and announcing themselves. As Mack entered the front door he was met with gunfire from inside and fell to the floor.

Officer Cody Allen, 35, and other officers who responded were also fired upon while attempting to reach Mack. Officer Allen was struck in the head and died; two other officers sustained nonfatal gunshot injuries. The shooter, identified as the former homeowner, held police at bay before being taken into custody. Prosecutors later charged 69-year-old Larry D. Acree with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree assault and armed criminal action and announced intentions to seek the death penalty; Acree was held on a $2 million cash bond.

Mack had served in the U.S. Navy, sang in the choir while in service, worked as a corrections officer, and had been a civil process server for more than a decade. He is survived by a fiancée, a teenage son and extended family who remember his generous spirit. If anyone knew Mack, the circumstances at the property that day, or saw relevant activity near North Elsea Smith Road, please come forward with information.