Nine members of a US Marshals task force were injured when a wooden deck collapsed during an operation at the home of a convicted sex offender in Missouri on July 21. The group, comprised of four deputy US Marshals and five Randolph County sheriff’s deputies, was swarming the second-floor deck of Jacob Alexander Munoz’s residence when the structure unexpectedly detached and fell several feet.
Bodycam footage captured the moment the deck gave way, sending the officers tumbling to the ground and trapping them in the debris. Fellow law enforcement officers immediately moved to assist their colleagues. Five of the nine officers were hospitalized with a combination of broken bones, torn muscles, and concussions. Authorities stated that miraculously, none of the officers sustained more serious injuries, nor were there any accidental discharges of their firearms during the sudden fall.
Steven Lewis, the US Marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri, called the outcome a miracle given the extent of the collapsed decking. US Marshals Assistant Chief James Tapp highlighted the officers' training and discipline for preventing any firearm accidents.
The operation, known as Operation Adam’s Watch, was part of a multiweek effort targeting convicted sex offenders who failed to register their addresses. On the day of the incident, the task force had 30 warrants to serve, including one for Munoz, a 26-year-old convicted of child pornography possession who had not reported to his parole officer. Munoz was not present at the home during the deck collapse but later surrendered to authorities.