CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Four law enforcement officers serving a warrant on a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and four other officers were wounded in a bloody gun battle Monday at a residence in North Carolina, according to police.
The shooting began when a U.S. Marshals Task Force tried to serve an arrest warrant for firearm possession by a convicted felon. Some of the officers who rushed to the Charlotte neighborhood to come to aid the first wave of downed officers were wounded as a second shooter opened fire on them after they fatally shot the suspect who was initially wanted by authorities, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said, according to NBC 5 DFW.
“Today we lost some heroes who were out simply trying to keep our community safe,” Jennings said at a Monday evening news conference.
During the press conference, authorities said the deceased suspect initially wanted for the arrest warrant was identified as 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes Jr. Officials also said he was the gunman who initially opened fire on task force officers serving the warrant.
Charlotte Police said Hughes was also wanted for two counts of felony flee to elude out of Lincoln County, North Carolina, Fox News Digital reported.
Police believe two shooters were likely involved. They said two individuals, a 17-year-old and a woman, were taken to the police station for further investigation.
“We have two people of interest at the police station that are being questioned right now,” Chief Jennings said. “And we have confirmed that the individual that was set up that we were serving the warrant on was the individual who fired the initial shots and was deceased in the front yard at the end of all of this.”
Three officers from the U.S. Marshals Task Force were killed in the exchange of gunfire — one deputy and two task force officers.
Moreover, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) confirmed to Fox News that one of its officer’s also died from his injuries later Monday evening.
CMPD News identified the fallen officer as Joshua Eyer. He was assigned to the department’s North Tryon Division.
Officer Joshua Eyer has passed away tonight from his injuries after being shot in the line of duty this afternoon while assisting other officers with the apprehension of a suspect. Officer Eyer faithfully served the CMPD’s North Tryon Division for six years and was a member of… pic.twitter.com/TwrINLkJUT
— CMPD News (@CMPD) April 30, 2024
In addition to the four officers who were killed, four more were wounded, including three CMPD officers and a U.S. Marshals Task Force officer.
Jennings referred to the gun battle as “the most tragic one that I’ve been involved in.” And that comment took place at the press conference before the fourth death was announced.
“I’ve been with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for 32 years. I can’t remember an incident where three law enforcement officers were [injured] and also three that were killed in the same incident,” he said.
CMPD initially reported that “numerous” officers were wounded at the scene in the 5000 block of Galway Drive, which is in the Shannon Park neighborhood, authorities said.
Wounded law enforcement personnel were rushed to nearby hospitals. At 2:23 p.m., police confirmed that a SWAT team was on the scene and urged residents remain inside their homes.
“A lot of the questions that need to be answered, we don’t even know what those questions are now,” Jennings said, somberly briefing reporters less than four hours after the gun battle occurred. “We have to get a full understanding of why this occurred and also uphold the integrity of the investigation.”
