CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Four law enforcement officers were killed and four others were injured on Monday, April 29, after being met with “active gunfire” from a suspect in east Charlotte, North Carolina.
Here's what we know and what we don't know about the investigation.
What we know
- Officers were attempting to serve a warrant on Terry Clark Hughes, Jr., 39, for a possession of a firearm by a felon charge and two counts of felony flee to elude out of Lincoln County, North Carolina.
- Three law enforcement officers serving on a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and one Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer were shot while confronting a suspect inside a home on Galway Drive in Charlotte.
- Officers were shot when approaching the home, according to CMPD.
- Officers shot back at Hughes, who was killed at the scene.
- After officers shot Hughes, CMPD SWAT negotiated with the others inside the home. Officers questioned two people who were found inside the house during the standoff.
- A total of eight officers were shot. The other four law enforcement officers were injured and taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries; three of the four officers have since been discharged.
- Three task force officers were pronounced dead at the hospital. Two of the officers that were killed were probation officers on a full-time task force with the U.S. Marshals, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
- One of the injured CMPD officers, Joshua Eyer, "fought for his life for several hours before succumbing to his injuries," CMPD confirmed. Eyer worked with CMPD's North Tryon Division for six years.
- The three other law enforcement officers have since been identified as Sam Poloche, Alden Elliott, and Thomas M. Weeks Jr. Both Poloche and Elliott were 14-year veterans of the agency. Weeks was a 13-year veteran of the agency.
- Charlotte Mayor Vi and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper were among public officials that responded to the shooting. Cooper also traveled to Charlotte to speak with the families of victims and officials.
- Four schools with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district were on a modified lockdown from around 3:15 p.m. to around 3:45 p.m. The schools were Devonshire ES, Briarwood Academy, Cochrane Collegiate and Lawrence Orr ES.
- The shooting investigation led to police officers temporarily closing busy roads such as Interstate 77, Interstate 277 and U.S. 74 (Independence Blvd.) as ambulances carried injured officers to local hospitals.
- CMPD is still working through
What we don't know
- Where Hughes got his gun(s).
- When the funerals will be for the officers killed in the line of duty, and whether there will be vigils open the public.
- How many shooters were involved?
- What was the relationship between the people in the house?
If your loved one was impacted by this incident, WCNC Charlotte hopes to make this process less painful with our More Than A Number initiative. With your help, we want to share who your loved one was with our viewers in North Carolina and South Carolina. When you're ready, fill out the form below or send us photos, memories and other details about them to desk@wcnc.com.