INDEPENDENCE, MO – A tragic scene unfolded in Independence, Missouri, on Thursday as a police officer and a court worker were fatally shot, and two other officers were injured. The incident occurred while the officers were assisting in serving an eviction notice at a residence in Jackson County.
The Independence Police Department identified the deceased officer as 35-year-old Cody Allen. According to Police Chief Adam Dustman, Allen and two other officers responded to reports of a court worker being shot at the residence shortly after 1 p.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered an individual suffering from gunshot wounds. While attempting to secure the injured individual, they came under fire from the person inside the home.
The two additional officers were transported to a local hospital, where they are expected to make a full recovery.
The incident, which Chief Dustman described as “absolutely devastating,” took place near E. Bundschu and N. Elsea Smith roads in the northeastern section of Independence, close to Highway 24. Allen, remembered fondly for his ever-present smile and distinctive beard, leaves behind a wife, two young children, and his parents.
The court worker, identified as Drexel Mac, was also killed in the line of duty. Mac had been serving the eviction notice at the time of the shooting. Judge Jalilah Otto of the 16th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri, where Mac had served for over 12 years, remembered him as “a true public servant.”
Authorities have taken one suspect into custody in connection with the incident. In the immediate aftermath, local schools were placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure, but the lockdown has since been lifted.