Four Officers Killed, Eight Injured in Shootout During Warrant Service Operation by U.S. Marshals Task Force and CMPD

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced on Monday afternoon that “numerous” police officers had been shot during a warrant service operation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Task Force. The incident resulted in four law enforcement officials being killed and another four injured, including three CMPD officers and one member of the USMTF. According to authorities, Terry Clark Hughes Jr., who was wanted for firearm possession as well as two counts of felony flee-to-elude charges out of Lincoln County, North Carolina, initiated the gunfire during the operation. Two persons of interest have been taken into custody and are currently being questioned by police. The CMPD initially reported that “numerous” officers were shot at a location in Shannon Park neighborhood before urging residents to remain indoors while advising them to avoid the area due to multiple road closures aimed at facilitating faster ambulance transport for injured personnel. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper expressed his condolences and offered state resources following confirmation of the shooting from his office, with US Senator Kay Hagan Parker calling on Americans to show greater support towards law enforcement officials in light of rising violence against officers carrying out their duties. The CMPD’s Police Chief Johnny Jennings described the incident as “the most tragic one that I’ve been involved in” and stated that he could not remember a similar occurrence during his 32-year career with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department, where three officers had sustained injuries alongside those who lost their lives.