In the early morning hours of December 19, 1987, a domestic disturbance call in Ozark, Alabama, set in motion a tragic chain of events that would leave two police officers and the perpetrator dead. Responding to a report of domestic trouble, Officer Charles Rafael Alcuri, 34, and his fellow officer, John Drew Seifert, 57, arrived at a duplex to investigate.
Little did they know, they were walking into a fatal encounter.
Upon their arrival, the officers were met with gunfire from 25-year-old Randy Crittenden, who had barricaded himself inside his cousin's home. Before the officers even had a chance to react, Crittenden shot and killed both of them. The gunman had also shot and injured a neighbor, 19-year-old Eddie James Draught, prior to the officers' arrival. Following the murder of the two officers, a standoff ensued, with state troopers, Alabama Army National Guard troops, and Ozark police surrounding the residence.
For several hours, law enforcement attempted to make contact with Crittenden, but their efforts were met with silence. When they finally entered the duplex at 12:45 p.m., they discovered Crittenden's body. He had taken his own life using Officer Seifert's service weapon. The motive for the initial domestic dispute and subsequent shootings was never fully clarified by authorities. Officer Alcuri, a 13-year veteran of the force, was survived by his wife and children.
