Charlotte shooting: Four officers shot dead, four wounded, in North Carolina home siege
Officials report that four law enforcement officers were fatally shot and four others sustained injuries while executing a warrant in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Following a three-hour standoff, authorities discovered at least one suspected assailant deceased in the front yard of a barricaded residence.
Police stated that the incident involved two armed suspects and stands as one of the most lethal assaults on US law enforcement in recent memory.
The officers, part of a task force led by the US Marshals Service, were attempting to serve a warrant on a felon wanted for illegal firearm possession when gunfire erupted on the suburban street.
During the confrontation, officers engaged with an assailant in the front yard before encountering additional gunfire from within the residence, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.
Chief Jennings lamented the loss of these courageous individuals, describing them as heroes dedicated to community safety, marking the gravest attack on police officers in his three decades of service.
Witnesses reported ongoing gunfire for more than two hours following the initial incident in the residential area east of the city.
The assault concluded with a police raid on the home in the Shannon Park neighborhood, utilizing armored vehicles to breach the premises, resulting in damage to windows and doorways.
Police disclosed that a woman and a 17-year-old boy found inside the residence with a suspect were being interrogated, with indications that at least one of them had fired at officers.
The US Marshals Service confirmed in a statement that one of its officers had been killed in the raid.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said two of the officers killed were members of the state’s Department of Adult Corrections.
“Our hearts are with the families and co-workers of officers in today’s brutal attack,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Also killed was Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Joshua Eyer, who had served on the force for six years, police said.
“We are forever indebted to Officer Eyer for his bravery and ultimate sacrifice,” a police statement said.
Chief Jennings said on Monday afternoon: “A lot of the questions that need to be answered, we don’t even know what those questions are now.
“We have to get a full understanding of why this occurred and also uphold the integrity of the investigation.”
Several nearby schools were placed on lockdown during the siege.
Residents were asked to shelter in place and nearby streets – including Interstate 77 – were closed to facilitate ambulance rescues.
Witness Tyler Wilson told CBS News he was working at home when he heard police shout for the suspect to come out of the house.
“After that, it was just chaos,” he said. “There were shots ringing left and right.
“We had Swat, and US Marshals set up snipers in our bedrooms. There was an officer [that] got dragged by his arms through our house.”
“It’s been pretty crazy,” he continued. “It was about 30 minutes where it was a straight shootout.”
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she spoke to President Joe Biden, who passed his condolences to the community.
The mayor said in a statement that she was “deeply saddened” by the shooting.
