A police officer and three members of a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force were shot and killed in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday when gunfire erupted as they were trying to serve a warrant, authorities said. Four other law enforcement officers were wounded in the shootout.
The suspect the officers were pursuing was also killed. They were identified late Monday as 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes, Jr. Police said Hughes was wanted for two counts of Possession of a Firearm by Felon and Felony Flee to Elude out of Lincoln County, North Carolina.
During a news conference at which Johnny Jennings, the chief of police for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, laid out the timeline of events.
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The task force was fired upon around 1:30 p.m. as it approached an individual to serve them a warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the chief said. That individual, Hughes, Jr., began shooting at them, with law enforcement returning fire, striking them in the front yard of their residence.
As officers approached the property, more shots were fired from inside the home.
“All of a sudden it sounded like Vietnam out there,” a neighbor told the Charlotte Observer.
After a three-hour standoff, Jennings said, two individuals were found inside. The pair, a woman and a 17-year-old, were taken in for questioning as “persons of interest.”
Four of the eight officers shot were task force members, three of whom died soon after the confrontation. The other four were identified by Jennings as members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Around 9:30 p.m. local time, hours after the news conference, the department said that one of the wounded police officers had died. It identified him as Justin Eyer, a six-year veteran of its North Tryon Division.
“We are forever indebted to Officer Eyer for his bravery and ultimate sacrifice,” the department said. “His life and service will never be forgotten. Please say a prayer for Officer Eyer’s loved ones during this difficult time.”
Jennings added in a tweet that Eyer had died “with his wife and family by his side” after fighting for his life for several hours.
“I am truly grateful for his bravery, service and ultimate sacrifice,” the chief said. “He will never be forgotten, and we are forever indebted.”
The other involved officers were not immediately named. The investigation remained ongoing late Monday.
“Today is an absolute tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the profession of law enforcement,” Jennings said. “Today, we lost some heroes.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said he was in contact with law enforcement regarding the “tragic” shooting, and had offered local authorities state resources.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she was “deeply saddened” by the incident, and asked that “all Charlotteans” keep the involved officers and their families “in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
The Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, partnered with more than 70 law enforcement agencies, is based in Charlotte. It has successfully apprehended nearly 9,000 fugitives since its inception in 2018, it has said.
Jennings said he couldn’t recall a day like Monday in his more than 30 years in the department.
“To me, it’s the most tragic one that I’ve been involved in,” he said.
