Nation Mourns Law Enforcement Officers, including Deputy U.S. Marshal, Killed in Charlotte Attack
Law enforcement officers nationwide are remembering their colleagues who were killed in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday, April 29, 2024, in the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since 2016.
Four law enforcement officers, who were members of the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, were shot and killed while trying to serve a warrant on a suspect.
Four other officers were wounded. They are all expected to survive.
Those killed were identified as Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks, North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections Officers Sam Poloche and William Elliott, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer.
“This is a loss for the entire country,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis. “Losing a deputy, losing task force officers, is like losing a family member because, quite frankly, they are family members.”
Police say the officers were attempting to serve a warrant against Terry Hughes Jr. at a home in East Charlotte, for possession of a firearm by an ex-felon.
That’s when Hughes opened fire on the officers with an AR-15 rifle from the second floor of the house.
As officers called for backup, Hughes fired again as more officers arrived.
Eventually, the suspect left the house and was killed by police in the yard.
A 17-year-old girl and a woman were in the home during the shooting and are cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Charlotte Police Chief Johnny Jennings said the investigation will take time.
"You have to understand the amount of evidence that's going to be collected, probably well over 100 rounds of gunfire, of projectiles and casings that will be collected," said Chief Jennings.
President Biden planned to travel to Charlotte. He released a statement after the shooting, mourning those killed, but also calling for more funding for law enforcement.
“We must do more to protect our law enforcement officers,” said President Biden.
The tragic deaths come ahead of National Police Week which is a time of “ honor, remembrance, and peer support, while allowing law enforcement, survivors, and citizens to gather and pay homage to those who gave their lives in the line of duty.”
National Police Week is May 12 until May 18, with May 15 recognized as Peace Officers Memorial Day.
The Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, headquartered in Charlotte, is comprised of 70 federal, state and local agencies collaborating to capture crime suspects.