Multiple videos from neighbors were recorded of the Charlotte, North Carolina, shooting that took the lives of four law enforcement officers and suspect, Terry Clark Hughes Jr.
You can watch the videos below but be aware that the scene they captured is disturbing. A digital content creator from North Caroline named Saing Chhoeun streamed a number of the videos on Facebook. Other neighbors also captured the barrage of gunfire and officers as they surrounded the home on April 29.
Law enforcement officers Sam Poloche, Alden Elliott, Thomas Weeks, and Joshua Eyers were named as the deceased officers. In a news conference, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said four other officers were also injured, and there were over 100 rounds of projectiles and casings. An AR-15 rifle and a handgun were recovered at the scene, along with additional rounds and ammunition. He said 12 CMPD officers fired their service weapons during the incident.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Video Captures the Barrage of Gunfire at the Scene
The Charlotte video captures a barrage of gunfire, and, at one point, it shows a wounded officer being helped to safety.
The second video shows officers taking cover behind a car as they return and take fire. A homeowner appears to be filming the video through a door as the officers take cover in a parking area.
No officers appear to be harmed in either of these two videos. The second video also captures a barrage of gunfire. Chhoeun posted other videos showing the same scene.
Another video by Chhoeun shows the front of the house smashed in and a bullet riddled window.
“Oh my God,” the narrator says in a second video showing the aftermath and describing, “Look at the side window. That’s where they shoot at. Bullet blast. That’s where he shot from, right there. The window on the top.”
CMPD/NC CorrectionsTop l, clockwide: Alden Elliott, Joshua Eyers, Sam Poloche and Thomas Weeks.
In a press release, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department wrote that on Monday, April 29, 2024, “an armed suspect opened fire on law enforcement officers in the 5000 block of Galway Drive in the North Tryon Division. Four Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers were shot, one of which succumbed to his injuries. Additionally, four officers from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force were shot, three of which succumbed to their injuries.”
On Monday, April 29, 2024, around 1:30 p.m., “the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, comprised of officers from multiple agencies, was conducting an investigation in the North Tryon Division at a home in the 5000 block of Galway Drive,” the release says. “The preliminary investigation indicates officers were attempting to serve active felony warrants on a male subject. As officers approached, the male subject discharged his firearm striking multiple officers. These officers requested immediate response from other officers. As officers responded, the gunfire continued, striking additional officers.”
According to the release: “In total, eight officers were struck during the gunfire. The officers were rushed to area hospitals. Three task force officers were pronounced deceased at the hospital. One of the injured CMPD Officers, Joshua Eyer, a 6-year veteran, fought for his life for several hours before succumbing to his injuries.”
The release notes, “The male suspect exited the residence on Galway Drive with a firearm. Law enforcement officers perceived an imminent deadly threat and fired their service weapons striking the suspect in the front yard of the residence.”
The release noted,
The CMPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) began negotiations with other occupants in the house. Two females exited the residence and were transported to the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) in Uptown (601 E. Trade St.) to be interviewed by detectives.
Upon securing the scene, the suspect was pronounced deceased at the residence. The deceased suspect has been identified as Terry Clark Hughes, Jr, 39. Mr. Hughes was wanted for Possession of a Firearm by Felon and Felony Flee to Elude (2 counts) out of Lincoln County, North Carolina.
Lt. Kevin Pietrus said in an April 30 news conference that “words simply can not express the impact of this event to the law enforcement and the first responder community.”
He confirmed that the male discharged a firearm striking multiple officers. These officers requested immediate assistance. The gunfire continued and more officers were struck. The suspect left the home with a firearm and was shot by officers.
Seven officers were struck by gunfire, and one broke his foot. Three of the injured officers were pronounced deceased at the hospital. One of the four injured CMPD officers, Officer Joshua Eyers, fought for his life “for several hours” before dying April 29.
“Many details remain uncertain at this point,” Pietrus said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said one of the wounded officers underwent surgery and is in stable condition; a second injured officer was treated with a gunshot wound at the hospital and released; a third injured officer was treated with gunshot wound injuries and released; and a fourth officer, who was not shot, was treated for a broken foot and was discharged from the hospital.
He called all of the officers’ actions “truly heroic.”
U.S. Marshals Director Ronald L. Davis said that Thomas Weeks was 48-years-old and was survived by his wife Kelly and four children. He was with the agency for 13 years.
Jessica McBride is a reporter covering sports for Heavy. She is a former reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Waukesha Freeman newspapers in Wisconsin and is a senior journalism instructor at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. More about Jessica McBride
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