Four members of law enforcement, including an officer of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, were killed in the line of duty on Monday while attempting to serve an arrest warrant at a home in east Charlotte.
After initially reporting the deaths of three law enforcement officers, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings announced late Monday that a fourth officer had died. Jennings identified that officer as Joshua Eyer, who had been with CMPD for six years.
Eyer had been assigned to work with a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force that was sent to an east Charlotte home to apprehend a suspect when, according to the police, the suspect opened fire as the officers approached the house.
In a statement posted on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, Jennings said his department was “heartbroken over the loss of one of our own.”
“He fought for several hours and passed away from his injuries with his wife and family by his side tonight,” Jennings said of Officer Eyer, “… and I am truly grateful for his bravery, service and ultimate sacrifice. He will never be forgotten, and we are forever indebted.”
In all, at least eight law enforcement officers were struck by gunfire, according to the police.
The authorities also announced the deaths of a deputy U.S. marshall and two officers with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Their names were not immediately made public.
The suspect also died at the scene. The authorities did not immediately release the suspect’s name but said members of the task force had gone to a house in the 5000 block of Galway Drive around 1:30 p.m. to arrest a felon who was suspected of being in possession of a firearm, which is illegal in North Carolina.
At a press conference Monday, Jennings said that while trying to serve the warrant, members of the task force were fired upon by a suspect who was subsequently killed by officers in the front yard. The suspect, he said, was using a “high-powered rifle.”
Once the officers approached the suspect, the officers began taking more fire from someone inside the residence, Jennings said. Two people inside the house — an adult woman and a 17-year-old — were detained as persons of interest, Jennings said late Monday.
Monday’s violence marked one of the deadliest days for U.S. law enforcement in recent years.
In July 2016, five officers were killed in Dallas, Texas, when a sniper opened fire during a demonstration against fatal police shootings. The alleged gunman, Micah Johnson, 25, was killed when the authorities detonated an explosive device that was carried by a remote-controlled robot.
In Charlotte, two CMPD officers — Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton — died on April 1, 2007, when they were ambushed at Timber Ridge Apartments in east Charlotte. The shooter, Demetrius Antonio Montgomery, who was 25 at the time, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
This article was updated on April 30 to include late-breaking information, including the death of CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that a 17-year-old male was inside the home. The 17-year-old’s gender was not immediately identified.
