Tragedy in Charlotte: Four officers killed and four injured during shootout

Jon Powell
·2 min read

Tragic events unfolded in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday (April 29) as law enforcement attempted to serve a warrant at a residence in the city's Shannon Park neighborhood. According to CNN, four officers lost their lives, including one deputy U.S. marshal and two local task force officers, while four others sustained injuries during the incident.

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Among the fallen officers were Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, both 14-year veterans of the state's Department of Adult Correction. Joshua Eyer, a six-year veteran of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), succumbed to his injuries after fighting for several hours. Earlier today (April 30), the U.S. Marshals Service identified the deputy U.S. marshal slain as Thomas Weeks Jr. The injured officers from CMPD were reported to be in stable condition.

The officers were met with gunfire as they approached the suspect's residence. According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, they encountered additional gunfire from inside the house. Whether or not there were additional shooters wasn’t confirmed.

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The deceased suspect, identified as Terry Clark Hughes Jr., was wanted for possession of a firearm by a felon and other felony charges. An internal memo outlined the sequence of events and claimed that Hughes fired from a second-story window with what was likely an AR-15-style rifle. He was subsequently shot and killed by law enforcement after reportedly jumping out of the window onto an awning.

Authorities brought two women, including a 17-year-old, out of the residence for questioning after securing the scene. Jennings emphasized that the investigation was in its early stages and that there were many unanswered questions.

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1785319508120424871

President Joe Biden shared a tweet honoring those who died in the line of duty. "Yesterday, four brave law enforcement officers – including a deputy U.S. marshal – were killed in Charlotte, North Carolina in the line of duty. They are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us," he said. "We mourn for them and their loved ones. And we pray for the recoveries of the courageous officers who were wounded."

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