One of the four police officers shot dead during a shooting at a Charlotte home in North Carolina has been identified as Joshua Eyer. The hero cop died from gunshot wounds sustained while assisting in serving a warrant on a convicted felon at Galway Drive in east Charlotte on Monday. Three other officers also sustained injuries during the gunfire.
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.
Killed on Duty
On Monday, at 1:30 p.m., officers from the United States Marshal's Service tried to serve a felony warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. However, they were met with gunfire from inside the home by the suspect who was armed with a high-powered rifle, leading to a 30-minute shootout.
According to reports, officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott from the North Carolina Department of Corrections, who were assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, lost their lives.
A Deputy Marshal was also killed at the scene, while another was injured.
Three officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were also wounded.
Eyer sustained critical injuries during the exchange and tragically succumbed to his wounds hours later.
Officer Eyer had served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for six commendable years, earning recognition as the Officer of the Month for April 2024. He leaves behind his wife and three-year-old son, his cherished family.
"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.
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.
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."
