CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) — Four law enforcement officers were killed, and four others were wounded while trying to serve an arrest warrant in a neighborhood in Charlotte.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Monday night an officer who had been injured in the shooting had died.
During a news conference Monday afternoon, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force was called to a home to serve a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
When they arrived, they were met by gunfire, according to WBTV.
After a three-hour standoff, the suburban Charlotte home was torn open. Armored vehicles smashed into it, ripping off windows and entire doorways that were left broken. Several armored vehicles were parked across yards, some with tree branches dangling off them.
Officers returned fire, killing one suspect who was later pronounced dead in the front yard of the home.
The task force was fired on by the wanted suspect as they approached the house and the man was killed in the front yard, Jennings said. Police identified the suspect as 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes, who was wanted for possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of felony to elude out of Lincoln County.
Authorities then faced gunfire coming from inside the home, leading to a standoff. Two people, a woman and a 17-year-old male, were taken to the police station as persons of interest. Police also say a high-powered rifle was seized from the home.
Jennings said a total of eight officers were shot, four with the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force and four with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
“Today we lost some heroes who were out simply trying to keep our community safe,” Jennings said at a news conference.
Three were killed during the incident, one of whom was confirmed to be a U.S. Marshal by that service.
The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections stated that two of the members of the task force were veterans of their department. They were identified as Sam Poloche and Aledn Elliot. Poloche leaves behind a wife and two children, and Elliot and his wife were parents to one child.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Officer Joshua Eyer, a six-year veteran of the force, died later at the hospital.
A GoFundMe has been started to provide support for those affected.
President Joe Biden released the following statement:
Earlier today, four brave law enforcement officers – including a Deputy U.S. Marshal – were killed in the line of duty. They are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us. We mourn for them and their loved ones. And we pray for the recoveries of the courageous officers who were wounded.
When a law enforcement officer puts on that shield in the morning and heads out the door, their family members dread the phone call – the very call that came today. It’s like losing a piece of your soul. To the families of those we lost: Jill and I, and all Americans, are here for you. And we will always be here for you.
We must do more to protect our law enforcement officers. That means funding them – so they have the resources they need to do their jobs and keep us safe. And it means taking additional action to combat the scourge of gun violence. Now. Leaders in Congress need to step up so that we ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of guns, and pass universal background checks and a national red flag law. Enough is enough.
May God Bless these fallen heroes.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, tweeted, calling the incident an “attack in Charlotte.”
“An attack in Charlotte on our brave law enforcement officers who swore an oath to protect and serve us all,” he wrote. “Susan and I are praying for everyone’s safety.”
Mayor Vi Lyles issued the following statement regarding the shooting: “I am deeply saddened by the shooting that occurred that involved Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers and US Marshals today. I ask that all Charlotteans keep them, the other injured officers, and their families in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
Gov. Roy Cooper also tweeted, stating he was in contact with law enforcement “concerning the tragic shooting in the Charlotte area, and we have offered state resources to help.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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