A Charlotte police officer was killed on Monday along with three US Marshals, and four other officers were left wounded when they were met with a barrage of bullets while trying to serve a warrant outside a North Carolina home. The cop was identified as Joshua Eyer who died on Monday night from his injuries sustained in the shooting.
The identities of the three other officers who lost their lives have not yet been revealed. Some of the injured officers were trying to help the fallen officers when they were wounded. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings described Tuesday as the bloodiest day for law enforcement in his 32-year career.
Blood on Charlotte Street
"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.
The officers were serving a warrant for a felon wanted for firearm possession at the home on Monday, police said. As they approached the suburban home in Charlotte, the suspect opened fire on them.
In response, the officers managed to shoot dead the felon in the front yard, as confirmed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.
Following the initial exchange of gunfire, a second person inside the home fired upon the officers, Jennings said.
SWAT teams and patrol units from CMPD arrived to help the officers and successfully cleared the home. They also recovered a gun from inside the home.
After a three-hour standoff, which involved armored vehicles crashing into the suburban home located in a tree-lined neighborhood and causing damage to doorways and windows, a woman and a 17-year-old boy were found inside the home.
Investigation Still On
The woman and the 17-year-old are being questioned. It is unclear the exact moment during the violent exchange when the officers were killed. Another member of the task force, comprising federal agents and officers from various agencies across the region, sustained injuries during the incident.
The Marshal's Service confirmed that one agent was killed, while two others were from the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.
Neighbors reported that gunfire continued for several minutes after the initial shooting erupted.
The specific number and types of firearms involved in the incident remained unclear, but Jennings indicated that one of the shooters used a "high-powered rifle" during the exchange of gunfire.
"They lost their lives after they gave us the opportunity to be in 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."
