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01-05-2024
COLUMBIA: Four law enforcement officers were fatally shot and four others were wounded while serving a warrant in Charlotte, North Carolina, officials say.
At least one alleged attacker was found dead in the front yard of a barricaded home after a standoff that lasted three hours, police said.
Authorities said two shooters were involved in the attack.
The injured officers were part of a task force led by the US Marshals Service.
They were trying to execute a warrant for a felon wanted for illegal possession of a firearm when gunfire erupted on the suburban street.
Officers opened fire on an attacker in the front yard, then more shots were fired at them from inside the home, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said at a news conference. A high-powered rifle was found inside the property, he added.
“Today we lost some heroes who were simply trying to keep our community safe,” the police chief told reporters.
He said it was the worst attack on police officers he could recall in his 30 years on the force.
According to witnesses, gunfire could still be heard more than two hours after the attack began on Monday in a residential area in the east of the city.
The assault ended when police stormed the home on Galway Drive in the Shannon Park neighborhood, using armored vehicles to break their way in, smashing windows and doors. Two other people who were in the home with a suspect were interviewed, police said. They said the two individuals are a woman and a 17-year-old boy. At least one of them is believed to have shot the officers. The US Marshals Service confirmed in a statement that one of its officers was killed in the raid.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said two of the slain officers were members of the state’s Department of Adult Corrections.
“Our hearts go out to the families and co-workers of the officers in today’s brutal attack,” he posted on X also killed was Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Joshua Eyer, who had been on the force for six years, police said.
“We are forever indebted to Officer Eyer for his supreme courage and sacrifice,” a police statement said.
Chief Jennings said Monday afternoon, “A lot of questions that need to be answered, we don’t even know what those questions are right now.
“We need to fully understand why this happened and also maintain the integrity of the investigation.” Several nearby schools were closed during the siege.
Residents were asked to shelter in place, and nearby streets including Interstate 77 were closed to facilitate rescue by ambulances.
Witness Tyler Wilson told CBS News he was working at home when he heard police yelling for the suspect to come out of the house.
“After that, it was just chaos,” he said. “There were shots going off left and right.
“We had SWAT and the US Marshals set up snipers in our bedrooms. There was an officer (who) was dragged by his arms through our house.”
“It was pretty crazy,” he continued. “It was about 30 minutes of straight fire.”
Charlotte Mayor VI Lyle said he spoke with President Joe Biden, who offered his condolences to the community.
The mayor said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened by the shooting that occurred involving Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers and US marshals today.”
“I ask that all Charlotteans keep them, the other injured officers and their families in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” she added. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
