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Three law enforcement officers killed, five more injured trying to arrest suspect on gun charge in east Charlotte | WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source

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Via: kavika • 7 months ago • 17 comments

By: Ely Portillo (WFAE . - Charlottes NPR News Source)

Three law enforcement officers killed, five more injured trying to arrest suspect on gun charge in east Charlotte | WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Monday that three officers died and five more were injured, including one in critical condition, after a shooting in an east Charlotte neighborhood.

S E E D E D C O N T E N T

WFAE | By Ely Portillo, Kenneth Lee Jr., Steve Harrison Published April 29, 2024 at 2:18 PM EDT

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Kenneth Lee Jr. / WFAE CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings addresses the media in east Charlotte after a shooting left three officers dead and five injured.

UPDATED 7:53 p.m.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Monday that three officers are dead and five more have been injured, including one in critical condition, in what amounts to the worst single day for law enforcement in Charlotte's history. A total of eight officers were shot in an east Charlotte neighborhood.

CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said those officers killed were all members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. They were trying to serve a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon at a house in the 5000 block of Galway Drive about 1:30 p.m. Jennings said officers were shot at by the suspect when they approached, and that they returned fire and hit the first suspect, who died in the front yard of a house.

"As officers approached that individual, they then received additional gunfire from inside of the residence," Jennings said. SWAT teams said the house had been secured shortly before 5 p.m. "After a long standoff, we were able to clear this residence and confirm there were two additional people inside."

"Tragically, there were three members of the U.S. Marshals task force who were pronounced deceased, and there were four CMPD officers who were shot — one who was in critical condition who is fighting for his life. A total of eight law enforcement officers were shot by the suspects in this house," he said. Jennings said some officers were shot when they rushed into the house to try and extract wounded officers, and praised their bravery.

"They knew what they were going into and still held their own in an attempt to apprehend this suspect," he said.

Jennings did not identify the three suspects, including the one who was shot dead. The two people inside the house were taken into custody, and Jennings said police are trying to work out exactly what happened, and why.

"Right now, we believe there are two shooters involved ... We still have a lot to uncover, a lot that's unanswered right now," Jennings said. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have joined other state and federal agencies in the investigation.

Our hearts are with the families and co-workers of officers in today's brutal attack, including two state Department of Adult Correction officers working with the US Marshal's Task Force who were shot and killed. - RC
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) April 29, 2024

The chaotic standoff lasted for hours before CMPD SWAT teams cleared the house in east Charlotte's Shannon Park neighborhood, north of Shamrock Drive and east of East Sugar Creek Road and Eastway Drive. Neighbors in the area shared clips on social media, some from video doorbells and some recorded on cellphones, that showed officers running as bursts of gunfire rattled through the leafy suburban neighborhood.

One man shared a clip of officers in his backyard, trying to get through a fence, as gunshots echoed nearby.

More viewer-submitted videos show the active gunfire in east Charlotte from a witness's backyard.
PLEASE AVOID THE AREA. This is happening along Galway Drive near Denson Place.
Latest: https://t.co/9bGzxDZu3Jpic.twitter.com/9onOeEKHpp
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) April 29, 2024

Police shut down major roads for hours, including Independence Boulevard and Randolph Road, in part to facilitate the rapid transport of injured victims to a hospital. Nearly two hours after the initial shootout, CMPD warned there was still "active gunfire" at the residence, as armored vehicles and officers in tactical gear tried to maneuver closer.

CMPD told people to stay indoors and nearby schools were placed on lockdown, with students waiting to leave for the day until police gave the all-clear. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials warned parents that buses were disrupted by the road closures and students might be home late.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said the city is grieving the three fallen officers. They were not identified publicly as of Monday evening.

"They lost their lives after they gave us the opportunity to be in a safe place and they lost their lives. These are people who care deeply about what they have done for their profession, and today we have to say to them how much we are grateful for how much they have done," she said.

Echoes of prior deadly shootings

In the past 31 years, there have been only two other incidents with multiple officer deaths in Charlotte.

Monday's shooting was a little more than a mile from the Timber Ridge apartments, near Milton and North Sharon Amity roads. That's where CMPD Officers Jeff Shelton and Sean Clark were shot and killed in 2007.

They were responding to a call about a disturbance at Timber Ridge when Demeatrius Montgomery ambushed and shot Clark and Shelton, both of whom died.

Prior to Monday, that was the last time multiple law enforcement officers were killed in a single incident in Charlotte.

In 1993, CMPD officers John Burnette and Andy Nobles were shot and killed in the woods near Boulevard Homes in west Charlotte while trying to arrest a suspect in a nearby robbery.

We will continue to update this story as more information is available.

WFAE Reporters Nick de la Canal and Sarah Delia contributed to this report.