Charlotte, North Carolina – Tuesday night, members of the community and local officials gathered to pay tribute to the four law enforcement officers who lost their lives when gunfire broke out at a North Carolina home where the authorities were attempting to serve a warrant.
The day after four law enforcement officers—three of whom were part of a U.S. Marshals Task Force—were shot and killed in a shootout at a suburban home in east Charlotte, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles stood at the pulpit of Little Rock A.M.E. Zion Church, addressing a room filled with about fifty people attending a prayer vigil. On the lawn of the residence, the suspect who opened fire on the officers was shot and killed, and two other occupants were later detained for interrogation.
“I must admit, I don’t apologize for crying,” Lyles remarked at the vigil on Tuesday. “What makes me whole is to be a genuine leader in this community, who’s not afraid to show vulnerability when it’s necessary and needed.”
In his statement, Lyles thanked the medics who attended to the wounded, the law enforcement officers who stood outside the hospital following the shooting, and the clergy who “guided the families through the kinds of turmoil and disbelief that all was taking place at the same time.”
The mayor stated that the most trying moment was when Officer Joshua Eyer of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department passed away from his wounds. Officer Eyer was married and had a three-year-old son.
“Our challenge to this community is take make sure that 3-year-old son grows up knowing his dad,” Lyles stated. “His dad was a law enforcement officer, he was a hero, he was someone that we should be proud to know and speak of.”
Suspect in deadly Charlotte shooting named
U.S. Marshals Task Force officers showed up at a suburban Charlotte home at 1:30 p.m. on Monday to execute multiple outstanding warrants against Terry Clark Hughes Jr., 39, who was wanted by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for two counts of fleeing to elude and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Hughes, carrying a “high-powered rifle,” opened fire on the advancing task force officers, hitting multiple of them, according to the police. As more police arrived on the scene, “the gunfire continued, striking additional officers,” according to the department, after officers had called for backup. Hughes was eventually shot by the authorities and declared dead on the front lawn. The department said in a statement on Tuesday that at least 12 Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers—all of whom are on paid administrative leave—fired their weapons during the incident.
Before finally using armored vehicles to enter the house, police started negotiating with other occupants. At the scene, there were three weapons: a.40 caliber handgun, a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, and extra magazines and ammunition for both.
After leaving the house, two women were taken in for questioning, according to a statement from the police department. The head of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Johnny Jennings, had previously announced that a woman and a 17-year-old were being questioned. The police department states that they are not searching for any additional suspects or people of interest in this case.
8 officers shot, 4 killed
In all, eight officers were shot during the incident: four from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and four from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Three of the deceased officers belonged to the task force, while the other officer was part of the police force.
Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, two of the deceased task force members, worked for the state’s Department of Adult Correction for 14 years, according to a department statement. Poloche, according to the state’s corrections department, is survived by his wife and two children. Elliot had a single child and was married. At a hospital, both were pronounced deceased.
“They loved their work, and were passionate about their roles in protecting our communities,” the statement continued. “These officers died as heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to our state.”
The incident claimed the life of U.S. Marshals Deputy Thomas M. Weeks Jr., 48, of Mooresville, North Carolina, the agency said in a statement. Weeks was a married father of four children who had served with the Marshals Service for thirteen years.