After a tow truck driver was shot and killed during a repossession in Jacksonville, we spoke with another repo man about the dangers of the job.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A family is grieving after police said a Jacksonville tow truck driver was shot and killed during a repossession late Tuesday night at an apartment complex on East 21st Street. Police said the incident began as a confrontation between the car owner and the repo worker, and escalated into violence.



This story continues below.

Police have not released the victim’s name, but MAD DADS identified him as Oliver Lopez, describing him as a hardworking driver and business owner. His family is asking for privacy as they grieve.

The incident has renewed attention on the risks faced by repossession agents, who often work alone, late at night, and in unpredictable environments.

“It’s kind of like a police officer going to a crime scene, where you don’t know what you’re going to get until you get there,” said “Ghost,” a repossession agent who records his jobs in South Carolina and shares them on social media.

Ghost said the public often misunderstands how quickly repossession jobs can turn.

“It happens. I’ve had weapons, guns, knives, brandished a lot of times,” he said. “That’s not a rare thing, especially when you have an engagement with a customer who doesn’t want to lose their vehicle.”

He emphasized that even routine recoveries can shift in seconds.

“You think it’s going to be a normal pickup, and then it’s not,” Weber said. “You’re dealing with people in high emotion, high stress, and you’re there taking something they still see as theirs.”

Crime and safety expert Mark Baughman, a former law enforcement officer with 35 years of experience, said repossessions sit in a legal gray area until things escalate.

“That is a civil process,” Baughman said. “Law enforcement doesn’t get engaged unless there is a threat in advance of that.”

He explained that police typically respond only after the situation escalates. 

“When a threat is made… then that’s a 911 call,” he said.

But repo workers said those boundaries are not always clear in real time.

“Most of the time when it gets to that intensity level, it’s not a moment to call the police,” he said. “It’s kind of like fight or flight mode, but with a gun, you can’t outrun a bullet, and that’s the hard part about it.”

He said those moments force split-second decisions, often without backup or protection.

“At that point, you’re just trying to get out,” Weber said. “There’s no script for it. There’s no routine.”

Ghost said he sometimes disengages when situations feel unstable.

“Sometimes I do have those that I walk away from if I think it’s going to go left,” he said. “I’ll walk away, and I’ll tell the bank or finance company that they need to pursue this through the court system because this person is not easy to work with.”

He added that the psychological impact builds over time.

“It messes with your mind sometimes,” Ghost said. “People don’t see that side of it.”

Police continue to ask anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.