Four officers killed, 5 others injured in Charlotte shooting

Table Of Content

• Timeline of Charlotte shooting
• Is Charlotte a Safe Place to Live?
• New details emerge after 4 law enforcement officers killed in shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina
• Year Over Year Crime In Charlotte (per 100,000 people)
• WCNC would like to send you push notifications about the latest news and weather.
• 1st Quarter Public Safety Report
• Residents south of Lake Conroe Dam told to plan for flooding

Four Dallas police officers and one transit officer were killed. The police killed the gunman, Micah Johnson, 25, with an explosive sent by a remote-controlled robot. In all, four members of the task force were shot, three of whom died. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction said in a statement that two of its veteran officers, Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, were killed. The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that one of its deputy marshals, Thomas Weeks, was among those killed. The task force is made up of officers from multiple agencies.

Timeline of Charlotte shooting

A suspect was killed in a shootout with police, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) released its first-quarter crime statistics for 2022, showing a slight increase in overall crime, violent crime and property crime from this time last year. The other wounded officer was identified Tuesday by the Statesville Police Department as Statesville police Cpl. Casey Hoover, who was also a member of the task force. Hoover suffered a gunshot wound to an area of his upper torso that was unprotected by his bulletproof vest, Statesville police said in a news release. He underwent surgery and is stable and expected to make a full recovery, police said. Two other slain law enforcement officers, identified as Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, were from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction assigned to the task force.

Is Charlotte a Safe Place to Live?

He said two women were inside and officers took them to the police station as "persons of interest." "When they approached that individual, they were met with gunfire," Jennings said Monday. "Officers returned gunfire and struck the victim, who was later pronounced deceased in the front yard of the residence." Monday, officers were attempting to serve a warrant to 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes, Jr., for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon at a home near the 5000 block of Galway Drive when they were "immediately" met by gunfire. During his September report to the Charlotte City Council, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings told city leaders his department was working with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on initiatives and programs to divert teens from crime. The CMPD is addressing another trend with increased enforcement.

New details emerge after 4 law enforcement officers killed in shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina

There have been 74 homicides reported by CMPD so far this year. AreaVibes has conducted polls asking local residents if they feel safe living in Charlotte. Based on the results of the surveys (328 responses), 30% of people felt that there was very little crime in Charlotte and felt safe walking alone at night.

Police initially believed there were two shooters involved in the incident, including the individual killed in the initial shootout, but Jennings said Tuesday he's not ready to say there was a second shooter. The two persons of interest are fully cooperating with the investigation and haven't been charged, he said. The investigation is being conducted by CMPD's Homicide Unit. As is standard procedure with any officer-involved shooting, the CMPD's Internal Affairs Bureau is conducting a separate but parallel investigation.

Year Over Year Crime In Charlotte (per 100,000 people)

On Tuesday Gov. Roy Cooper ordered all U.S. and North Carolina flags to half-staff until Friday in honor of the fallen officers. "He said there's a man shooting over there," the neighbor told WCNC Charlotte's Jesse Pierre. "Man we never had nothing like this before. Never, I've been over here for 27 years. It's wild, man." WCNC Charlotte spoke with a neighbor in the area who said he received a phone call from his neighbor explaining there was a shooting in the area.

As officers approached the suspect, the man opened fire, striking multiple officers. As officers returned fire, more shots struck additional officers. Of those, eight cases are being reviewed by the district attorney and may be removed from the count. CMPD touted its homicide unit's 80% solve rate over the last five years, claiming that number is significantly higher than the national average of 52%. That same month, three officers in Baton Rouge, La., were killed, and three others were wounded in what the authorities described as an “ambush.” The gunman was killed during a shootout.

"These are people that care deeply about what they've done for profession, and now today, we have to say to them how much we are grateful for what they have done," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said. The CMPD SWAT team was at the scene and working through the incident. MEDIC's mass casualty unit was also seen heading to the shooting scene.

Teens are driving the recent rise of shootings in Charlotte, police say - Charlotte Observer

Teens are driving the recent rise of shootings in Charlotte, police say.

Posted: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The CMPD has held a giveaway for steering wheel “club” anti-theft devices for Kia and Hyundai vehicles with another giveaway event scheduled for April 29th. CMPD’s Public Affairs Office has put out materials on the Kia/Hyundai Challenge with prevention tips to educate vehicle owners. Jennings says one of the concerning trends is an increase in guns stolen from vehicles. "A 5% decrease in violent crime is encouraging, but we will continue to remain laser-focused on deterring these serious offenses in 2023,"  said Jennings.

Ninety-five percent of suspects arrested for a Kia and Hyundai theft have been juveniles. Juveniles have also accounted for 62% of all auto theft arrestees. Reported sexual assaults are up by 17% so far this year and aggravated assaults by 2%.

-- An attempt to serve a warrant turned deadly Monday when a deputy U.S. marshal and three other members of a task force were shot and killed in Charlotte. One neighbor, Tyler Wilson, shot videos as police swarmed through his yard. According to Wilson, who kept recording even as an injured officer was pulled through his living room, gunshots were coming from every direction. Jennings said as officers approached Hughes after he was shot, people inside the home fired more shots at them.

Video posted to social media appeared to show over a dozen police cruisers and two officers running at the scene. The Marshals Service identified the deputy U.S. marshal who was killed in the shooting as Thomas Weeks Jr., 48. He is survived by a wife and four children, the agency said in a statement Tuesday. Police said the officers called for backup and they continued to exchange fire with the suspect. More gunfire came from inside the house as officers approached the suspect, setting off a long standoff, Jennings said.

By fostering collaboration among stakeholders, Charlotte can strive for secure, resilient and opportunity-rich neighborhoods. Tackling urban safety requires a multifaceted approach beyond statistics, addressing socio-economic disparities and enhancing community-police relations. By promoting inclusivity and empowerment, Charlotte can pave the way for a safer future. The Charlotte region comprises an array of over 151 distinct neighborhoods, each characterized by its unique crime rate influenced by factors including location and socioeconomic conditions. Typically, neighborhoods situated near the city center or downtown core exhibit higher crime rates owing to their higher population density.

Jennings said he believes that’s partly because schools were open and students had more of a chance to report them to counselors. Jennings said, "When you look at, not just the acts that juveniles are committing in a violent way, but it's also the ages of how much younger and younger that we're seeing some of these violent offenders and juveniles become."

Jennings said Hughes was later shot down in the front yard of the home, where he died. According to police, property crime - burglary, vehicle thefts and larceny - have risen 6.8% during the first three quarters of 2022. Overall violent crime is down almost 5% through Sept. 30, with sexual assaults declining by 19% and aggravated assaults falling by 7%, according to CMPD statistics. The CMPD has addressed and will continue to address this trend through increased enforcement and education. Officers have recovered more than half of all stolen vehicles in 2023, and have made nearly 250 auto theft arrests, an increase of 64% from 2022.

Property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims. "At one point, there was probably 10 or 15 police or marshals in our back yard, some in our bedrooms," Wilson said. "I opened the doors and just let them come through the house. It’s one of those situations where you just black out – you go into fight or flight mode." According to Jennings, a total of 12 Charlotte officers fired weapons, and all have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard policy in officer-involved shootings. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police recovered 100 shell casings, an AR-15 rifle and a .40-caliber handgun from the home, according to Jennings.