Four Law Enforcement Officers Killed in Charlotte Shootout; Two Suspects Arrested

Four law enforcement officers have been identified as victims in a deadly shootout that occurred on Monday afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina. Joshua Eyer, who served the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department’s (CMPD) North Tryon Division for six years and was part of the 178th Recruit Class, lost his life during the incident. Additionally, Samuel “Sam” Poloche and Alden Elliott, both officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Task Force, were also killed in the shootout. Thomas M. Weeks Jr., a 13-year veteran of the US Marshals Service (USMS), was another officer who lost his life during this tragic event.
The shooting began when a U.S. Marshals Task Force attempted to serve an arrest warrant for firearm possession by a convicted felon, Terry Clark Hughes Jr., 39. After three hours of negotiations with the suspect inside his suburban Charlotte home, law enforcement officers stormed into the house and were met with gunfire from Hughes, who was later killed in the shootout.
Poloche joined NCDAC’s Special Operations and Intelligence Unit in 2013 after previously serving several years as a probation/parole officer. Alden Elliot also served for two years at this unit following his appointment to it in 2016, having initially worked as a probation/parole officer. Both officers left behind grieving spouses and children during their service with NCDAC’s Department of Adult Correction (DAC).
Eight law enforcement officials were injured during the incident; three CMPD officers and one USMS Task Force member are still receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained in this tragic event. The North Carolina DAC has expressed its deepest condolences to all affected by this horrific tragedy, remembering these fallen heroes as they honor their service, and offering prayers of comfort to those suffering loss at the time of this heinous crime against our state’s law enforcement officers. Authorities have also revealed that two other individuals were taken into custody for further investigation in connection with this incident; a 17-year old boy and an unidentified woman who are both believed to be possible accomplices of Hughes, the slain suspect responsible for triggering Monday afternoon’s horrific events.