Who Was The Man Who Allegedly Killed Four North Carolina Cops?
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Less than 24 hours after a fatal standoff between Charlotte police officers and a city resident, the cops identified the shooting suspect who allegedly claimed the lives of four incidents during the shootout.
Police identified the deceased suspect as 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes. The shootout marked the last of Hughes’ many run-ins with the law, as he died with a substantial felony conviction record.
Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to a home in the North Tryon Division Monday afternoon to serve a series of active felony warrants to a male suspect. When officers approached, Hughes allegedlyfired at them with a “high-powered rifle,” a department spokesperson said. Officers called for backup and held an hours-long standoff.
Hughes was exiting the home with a firearm when the cops fatally shot him. The SWAT team then negotiated with the two remaining occupants of the home for them to exit the residence.
Eight officers were struck by gunfire. Three of them, U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Officers Sam Poloche, Alden Elliott and one unnamed deputy, were pronounced dead at the hospital. A fourth officer, Joshua Eyer, died later after fighting for several hours before succumbing to his injuries.
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North Carolina state records show Hughes was convicted of breaking and entering in Person County, which is north of Raleigh-Durham, in 2010. He spent approximately six months in prison before being released in May 2011.
Hughes was arrested in June 2012 after a high-speed chase in Alamance County, which is east of Greensboro and west of Raleigh-Durham. Deputies said Hughes led them on a chase at speeds over 100 mph after turning around to avoid a checkpoint. At the time, he was wanted on several warrants in numerous counties for failing to appear in court. He spent nearly a year in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and speeding to elude arrest.
Hughes was arrested by CMPD on multiple drug charges in May 2021. He was also charged with fleeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle. He was released from jail hours later, records show. Court records show the charges out of Mecklenburg County were dismissed. District Attorney Spencer Merriweather stopped prosecuting many drug crimes in early 2021, as the pandemic bogged down the court system.
The two women who were at the home during the shooting were taken in forquestioning. It’s unclear what their relationship to Hughes was, if any. No criminal charges against the two have been announced.
Now, instead of bringing Hughes to justice, four families of the slain officers must prepare homegoing arrangements.
“They loved their work, and were passionate about their roles in protecting our communities. These officers died as heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to our state,” the department said in a statement.
