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.
Terry Clark Hughes Jr, 39, was fatally shot after allegedly opening fire on law enforcement officers who were trying to execute a felony warrant.
Records show he has a lengthy criminal history.
In April 2010 he was arrested for aggravated assault against a female in Charlotte. That same year he was convicted of breaking and entering in Person County, north of Raleigh-Durham, and spent approximately six months in prison before being released in May 2011.
One year prior in 2009, he had been charged with the same offence as well as possessing a stolen firearm.
In 2006 Hughes was twice charged with carrying a concealed gun and jailed again later that year in December on further charges of weapons law violations.
In his final act on Monday he is suspected of killing four law enforcement officers, before being gunned down by police as he attempted to exit a residence on Galway Drive, in Charlotte.
Shots were fired from overhead, as he was apparently shooting from the second floor of his home, CMPD said.
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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 were the involved officers?
Four officers were killed in the shooting. They have been dubbed “heroes” by their superiors.
Three of the officers killed were members of the US Marshal Fugitive Task Force: Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections and Thomas Weeks, a deputy US Marshal.
A fourth victim, Joshua Eyer, was an officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Four other officers were injured, all CMPD officers.
Officer Chris Tolley underwent surgery and on Tuesday morning was in stable condition.
Officers Mike Giglio and Jack Blowers suffered from gunshot wounds. Both were released from hospital on Monday.
Officer Joshua Campbell was not shot, but sustained a broken foot. He was discharged from hospital on Tuesday morning.
Chief Jennings said that the “officers were at a disadvantage because” the shooter fired from an elevated level. On top of this, he noted that their body armor “cannot withstand a rifle round.”
On Tuesday, Governor Roy Cooper said: “North Carolina lost four heroes and saw four other heroes wounded.”
“We are grateful for their bravery and courage,” he added.
Who were the involved officers?
Four officers were killed in the shooting. They have been dubbed “heroes” by their superiors.
Three of the officers killed were members of the US Marshal Fugitive Task Force: Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections and Thomas Weeks, a deputy US Marshal.
A fourth victim, Joshua Eyer, was an officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Four other officers were injured, all CMPD officers.
Officer Chris Tolley underwent surgery and on Tuesday morning was in stable condition.
Officers Mike Giglio and Jack Blowers suffered from gunshot wounds. Both were released from hospital on Monday.
Officer Joshua Campbell was not shot, but sustained a broken foot. He was discharged from hospital on Tuesday morning.
Chief Jennings said that the “officers were at a disadvantage because” the shooter fired from an elevated level. On top of this, he noted that their body armor “cannot withstand a rifle round.”
On Tuesday, Governor Roy Cooper said: “North Carolina lost four heroes and saw four other heroes wounded.”
“We are grateful for their bravery and courage,” he added.
In photos: the aftermath of the Charlotte shooting
Recap: What happened in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy?
The investigation into the tragedy is ongoing.
After the incident, police found “well over 500 rounds of projectiles and casings” inside the home, said Police Chief Johnny Jennings, who wiped away tears at the press conference.
Authorities recovered an AR-15 rifle and a 40-calibre handgun along with additional magazines and ammunition for both firearms.
Police are not “not ruling out the possibility that someone else was firing as well,” Chief Jennings said. He explained that authorities believe there could have been more than one shooter since shots were being fired “down at the officers both front and back.”
Despite this theory, police are “not looking or interested in any additional suspects or any persons of interest.”
There were two others inside the home. One is a 17-year-old girl and the other a woman who is “a little older.” Their relationship to Hughes was not made clear but they were in the home “voluntarily,” Chief Jennings said.
The pair were taken in for interviews with detectives on Monday and have been cooperating, he said.
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What happened to the other officers involved?
The CMPD said that 12 of its officers fired their service weapons — and now all of them are on paid, administrative leave.
Chief Johnny Jennings assured at Tuesday’s press conference that this is standard practice for an officer-involved shooting.
The CMPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau will conduct a separate but parallel investigation.
ICYMI: What happened in the Charlotte shooting?
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.
The investigation into the tragedy is ongoing.
After the incident, police found “well over 500 rounds of projectiles and casings” inside the home, said Police Chief Johnny Jennings, who wiped away tears at the press conference.
Authorities recovered an AR-15 rifle and a 40-calibre handgun along with additional magazines and ammunition for both firearms.
Police are not “not ruling out the possibility that someone else was firing as well,” Chief Jennings said. He explained that authorities believe there could have been more than one shooter since shots were being fired “down at the officers both front and back.”
Despite this theory, police are “not looking or interested in any additional suspects or any persons of interest.”
There were two others inside the home. One is a 17-year-old girl and the other a woman who is “a little older.” Their relationship to Hughes was not made clear but they were in the home “voluntarily,” Chief Jennings said.
The pair were taken in for interviews with detectives on Monday and have been cooperating, he said.
Which officers were killed in the shooting?
Four officers were killed in the shooting. They have been dubbed “heroes” by their superiors.
Three of the officers killed were members of the US Marshal Fugitive Task Force: Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections and Thomas Weeks, a deputy US Marshal.
A fourth victim, Joshua Eyer, was an officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Background into the suspect
In Januarry, 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes Jr took police on a car chase through Lincoln County, North Carolina .
Lincoln County Sheriff Bill Beam recounted the incident to WCNC Charlotte.
One of his officers tried to pull over Hughes. Rather than slowing, he “took off,” the sheriff said.
Sheriff Beam said the high-speed chase was ultimately called off when a police officer noticed the car that was being followed was registered to a woman — not Hughes.
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