Four Officers Dead in North Carolina Shoot-out

(BrightPress.org) – Four police officers were shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant at a home in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday, April 29th.

A task force composed of officers from multiple agencies approached a house to serve a warrant to a convicted felon for illegally possessing a firearm. Shots rained down from the top floor of the two-story house as officers ran for cover. Officers returned fire and pulled those injured to safety. It is believed the shooter saw the task force approaching before officers were near the front door. Backup arrived and officers continued to exchange fire with the suspect. The standoff lasted approximately 30 minutes until the suspect exited the house while still armed. Officers opened fire, and the suspect was shot dead. Four other officers were injured during the shootout.

The shooter was identified as 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes Jr. Hughes has a criminal record spanning more than a decade and spent time in prison. An AR-15 rifle and a .40 caliber handgun were found inside the home along with more ammunition for both weapons.

Two female subjects were also inside the home, one of them a juvenile. Both females have been cooperating with police and, so far, have not been charged with any crimes.

The officers killed have been identified as Thomas Weeks Jr., a deputy U.S. Marshal; Sam Polche, and Alden Elliott, both 14-year veterans of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction; and Joshua Eyer of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Four other officers who were shot and wounded are identified as Cpl. Casey Hoover of the Statesville Police Department; and Christopher Tolley, Michael Giglio, and Jack Blowers of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Justin Campbell also with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department sustained a broken foot during the shootout.

President Joe Biden spoke with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, and expressed “condolences and support for the community.” Biden made a statement later calling the fallen officers “heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.”