Body camera footage captured the moment nine members of a U.S. Marshals Service task force fell to the ground when a second-story wooden deck suddenly collapsed during an arrest operation in Missouri.
The officers were standing outside an apartment in Huntsville on July 21 while serving what the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office described as a high-risk arrest warrant.
Several officers had firearms in their hands when they fell. None of the weapons discharged.
Seven officers were injured, including some who suffered broken bones, according to U.S. Marshal Steven Lewis.
Deck Gives Way Beneath Task Force
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The video shows the officers lined up along the exterior walkway outside an apartment door. There is little visible warning before the floor beneath them disappears.
“Someone described it almost as if a trap door opened and it fell that way,” Lewis told ABC 17 News shortly after the collapse. “Not away from the structure, but straight down, which gave them almost no time to react.”
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office said the Moberly Area SWAT Team was serving the warrant in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service. The SWAT team includes officers and deputies from the Moberly Police Department, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, and North Missouri Drug Task Force.
Seven officers were taken to hospitals. Lewis said their injuries were “consistent with a pretty serious fall,” including broken bones. The injuries were not considered life-threatening, and the sheriff’s office said no civilians were injured.
The collapse also damaged access to the building. ABC 17 reported that roughly half of the second-story deck was gone afterward, leaving three upstairs apartments without access through their doors.
Why the Task Force Was at the Apartment
The officers were there to serve an arrest warrant for a 26-year-old man who had failed to register as a sex offender, according to the Associated Press.
The man was not taken into custody at the apartment. U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Abigail Meyer told the AP that he was arrested later that same day.
Questions Turn to the Condition of the Deck
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office said the circumstances surrounding the structural collapse were being documented as part of the overall incident. Authorities have not announced a cause.
A nearby resident told ABC 17 on the day of the collapse that the apartment building was in poor condition and described it as a hazard. A reporter at the scene also observed that a portion of the deck still standing appeared to be slightly caving in.
The footage prompted speculation online that the collapse might have been intentional. Authorities have not said the deck was deliberately rigged, and there is currently no evidence that it was a booby trap.
Viewers React to the Collapse
The footage and the sheriff’s initial announcement drew hundreds of reactions on Facebook.
“Even the termites didn’t want them serving the warrant,” one person wrote.
“So in this case support services didn’t help with the support!!!” another wrote.
“That’s incredible and scary,” one person said. Another wrote, “Thankfully no one was killed.”
Perhaps the most remarkable detail remains what didn’t happen. Multiple armed officers dropped through the structure together, yet authorities said no firearm discharged.
All seven injured officers were ultimately treated and released from the hospital.