Charlotte shooting: President Biden plans to visit family members of slain officers
Officers were shot at as they served a fugitive arrest warrant to Terry Clark Hughes Jr at a house in North Carolina
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New details have emerged around a police encounter with the suspect —months before the shoot-out in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday that left four law enforcement officers dead.
Back in January, Terry Clark Hughes Jr, 39, led officers on a high-speed chase, according to Lincoln County Sheriff Bill Beam. One of his officers tried to pull over Hughes. But rather than slowing down, he “took off,” the sheriff told WCNC.
The car chase was ultimately called off when a police officer noticed the Hughes’ vehicle was registered to a woman.
Four months later, Hughes opened fire on officers as they approached his home on April 29 trying to serve him warrants. He was wanted for possession of a firearm by felon and felony flee to elude.
Hughes was fatally shot during the exchange.
Two other people later found in the home where Hughes was firing from “are fully cooperating” with the investigation and are not considered suspects, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said.
Four officers were killed in the tragedy: North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, Deputy US Marshal Thomas Weeks and CMPD officer Joshua Eyer.
Of the four officers injured, three have been discharged from the hospital while the fourth is in stable condition.
Where did Hughes get the guns?
CMPD Chief Jennings said at Tuesday’s press conference that investigators are looking into how the suspected shooter acquired the firearms.
An AR-15 rifle and a 40-calibre handgun — along with additional magazines and ammunition for both weapons — were recovered from the home.
An internal law enforcement officers are reportedly looking for the person who bought the firearm used in the shooting to potentially bring federal charges, according to a memo obtained by CNN.
Suspect had a 20-year rap sheet including drug, assault and weapons charges
Prior to the fierce shootout in Charlotte, North Carolina – in which four law enforcement officers were killed and several others wounded – police had been attempting to serve felony warrants on 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes Jr.
Hughes – who also died in the shootout – had been arrested dozens of times, with almost 50 cases listed online, including charges relating to drug manufacture, firearm possession and aggravated assault.
The charges against him stretch back over 20 years and across multiple counties in North Carolina, with one listed against him as far back as 2001 over communicating threats — against his own father, Terry Clark Hughes Sr.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CPMD) chief Johnny Jennings said that Hughes Jr had previously spent a “significant amount of time” behind bars.
CPMD said that at the time of Monday’s incident, Hughes was wanted for possession of a firearm by felon and felony flee to elude out of Lincoln County, North Carolina.
On 24 April, he had failed to appear in court related to charges of possession of firearm by felon and marijuana possession, according to the department.
Read the full story...
Charlotte shooting suspect had a 20-year rap sheet
Terry Clark Hughes Jr was killed in a shootout with police in Charlotte on Monday, which also claimed the lives of four law enforcement officers
Who are the injured officers?
- Chris Tolley, a CMPD officer, underwent surgery and is now in stable condidtion
- Mike Giglio, a CMPD officer, suffered gunshot wound injuries and was released yesterday
- Jack Blowers, a CMPD officer, suffered gunshot wound injuries and was released yesterday
- Joshua Campbell, a CMPD officer, who not shot but suffered a broken foot and was discharged this morning
What we know about the two others inside the home
“Two females that were inside the residence were brought in to be interviewed by detectives,” CMPD wrote on X.
Chief Jennings said at Tuesday’s press conference that one was 17 years old and the other was “a little older.” He declined to comment on their relationship to Terry Clark Hughes Jr, who was fatally shot yesterday.
The police chief said authorities weren’t ruling out possibility of arrest, but confirmed they have not been charged with any crime.
He also said that there is a possibility that there was a “second shooter” in the home.
That theory seems to have emerged because Hughes was shooting from upstairs, but shots were fired “down at the officers both front and back,” potentially indicating that there was more than one shooter.
GoFundMe page surpasses $50,000
A GoFundMe campaign was launched after eight officers were caught in a devastating incident on Monday.
Four were killed and four others were injured.
The fundraiser aims to “provide support for those affected, offering a beacon of hope amidst the darkness of this tragedy.”
Donations have flooded in. Just a day after the tragedy, it has garnered more than $58,000.
“As the community reels from this senseless act of violence, thoughts and prayers pour out for the wounded officers and their families,” the fundraiser says.
“As the investigation unfolds and the names of the fallen are confirmed, the community stands together in solidarity, determined to honor the bravery of those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.”
What happened?
Law enforcement officers arrived at a home in the 5000 block of Galway Drive around 1.30pm on 29 April to serve a warrant when all hell broke loose, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said at a Tuesday press conference.
The US Marshals Fugitive Task Force, composed of officers from 16 agencies across the state, were serving a 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes Jr, a convicted felon with an extensive criminal record.
Hughes was wanted for possession of a firearm by felon, and felony flee to elude out of Lincoln County, North Carolina.
When officers approached the home, shots were fired from an “elevated level” inside, the police chief said. The shooter was “ambushing” officers, making it hard for law enforcement officials to take cover, he added.
At some point, Hughes Jr exited his home, armed with a firearm. The officers “perceived an imminent deadly threat” and fired at Hughes in his front yard, killing him.
In total, eight officers were hit by gunshots.
Four were killed and four others have survived their injuries. Three of the fallen officers were members of the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force while one was a CMPD officer.
Read the full story...
Everything we know about the Charlotte shooting
‘North Carolina lost four heroes and saw four other heroes wounded,’ state governor said
Officers’ body armor could not withstand the AR-15 shots
Chief Jennings said at Tuesday’s press conference that “traditional body armor for police officers cannot withstand a rifle round.”
An AR-15 rifle and a 40-calibre handgun were recovered from the house.
He added that “officers were at a disadvantage because the individual” was at an elevated level.
Who was the suspect?
Hughes was 39 years old, five-foot-nine, and 180 pounds. Officers had been attempting to serve felony warrants on him on Monday.
North Carolina criminal records show he has an extensive rap sheet with many drug-related charges.
Hughes also faced charges of aggravated assault against a female in 2010; multiple counts of possession of firearm by felon; multiple counts of fleeing to elude arrest; reckless driving to endanger as well as communicating threats — a charge brought by his father.
Hughes was previously convicted of weapon law violations and breaking and entering.
When asked on Tuesday whether someone like Hughes should have been allowed to be on the streets, Chief Jennings said that he had spent “a significant amount of time in jail and had been released.”
That being said, the chief added: “I can give you hundreds of examples of people that I feel like should not be out praying upon his citizens…our system is not completely where it needs to be.”