An agent with the US Marshals and three police officers were killed Monday and four other officers were wounded when they were met with a hail of bullets while trying to serve a warrant in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Some of the officers were gunned down in a second, surprise round of gunfire after the first officers shot and killed the wanted suspect in the initial barrage of bullets in a front yard in the quiet suburban neighborhood, officials said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings called Tuesday the bloodiest day for law enforcement he’s seen in his 32 years on the job.
“Today we lost some heroes that were out there simply trying to keep our communities safe,” Jennings said at a press conference shortly after the situation settled.
“To me, it’s the most tragic [day] that I’ve been involved in,” he added.
Three victims have been identified: Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Corrections and Charlotte Police Officer Joshua Eyer.
Gunfire broke out around 1:30 p.m. on a tree-lined residential street about 20 minutes west of downtown Charlotte as officers attempted to serve a warrant for a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Upon arriving at a home on Galway Drive, US Marshals were met with bullets flying from within the house, prompting them to return fire.
When the gunsmoke cleared, the suspect — the subject of the warrant, whose name was not released — was dead on the front lawn, cops said.
But when officers approached the home again, more fire erupted from within, Jennings said.
SWAT teams and patrol units from CMPD arrived in armored vehicles to assist and were eventually able to clear the home following a three-hour standoff.
A woman and a 17-year-old boy were found inside the house and were taken in for questioning as “persons of interest,” Jennings said. It’s not immediately clear if investigators believe one or both are responsible for the second round of gunfire.
Officers also recovered a high-powered rifle from the home, which was torn apart by armored vehicles during the dramatic gunfight.
The dead included the US Marshal, two officers from the state Department of Adult Correction, and local Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Joshua Eyer, authorities said.
Eyer — who was named officer of the month for April just a few weeks ago — was the only of the four dead immediately identified.
He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital a few hours after the shooting, Jennings said.
“He certainly gave his life and dedicated his life to protecting our citizens,” the police chief said.
It is unclear at what point during the violent exchange the officers were killed.
“They lost their lives after they gave us the opportunity to be in a safe place,” said Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, fighting back tears.
“The most I can ask of our community is that we honor and respect them for all the work that they’ve done, for all the work that we’ll do, to make it possible for our city to be safer.”
In addition to the fatalities, one US Marshal was wounded, as were three Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers. Their injuries vary from serious gunshots to graze wounds.
Residents of the normally quiet neighborhood lined with brick homes and well-manicured lawns were rocked by the standoff as dozens of cops and armored SWAT trucks rushed to the scene.
Rissa Reign said she was cleaning when she heard gunshots followed by a pause and then a second and third round of shots.
“When we came outside, there were no cops at all, then cops started rushing, rushing, rushing, rushing in,” she said.
Massive SWAT trucks quickly followed and they “were going over the grass, everything, and they started shooting again,” she added.
Another neighbor described the chaos as overwhelming and terrifying.
“I see, like, 50 police cars zooming in, and then I hear gunshots,” Alex Rivera said on the front porch of the house he shares with his cousin. “I was scared, because there was so much going on.”
A news helicopter that was circling the neighborhood for WSOC-TV showed the armored trucks plowing through yards and tearing apart the home where the shots were fired.
But after the house was cleared, the pilot said the aftermath of the shooting on the front lawn of the house was too graphic and disturbing to show viewers.
The last time a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer was killed in the line of duty was 17 years ago, when in March 2007, two of the local force’s cops were killed while responding to a domestic dispute.
With Post wires
