(The Center Square) – Four lawmen on the U.S. Marshals Task Force died Monday while serving an arrest warrant in North Carolina.
A marshal and two officers from the Department of Adult Correction were confirmed killed early Monday evening in Charlotte. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer, one of five others injured in the standoff and shooting, died later in the evening at a hospital.
The graphic scene unfolded as officers attempted to serve the warrant for a felony firearm arrest. A helicopter pilot recording for television decided against filing certain elements of the video footage for broadcast.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said Joshua Eyer, the officer who died later at the hospital, “certainly gave his life and dedicated his life to protecting our citizens.” Eyer earlier in April was named officer of the month.
Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott, each with more than a decade of service, were identified as the members of the state Department of Adult Correction who were killed.
At time of publication, the name of the slain marshal had not been made public.
The last marshal killed in the line of duty was Chase White, in Tucson, Ariz., in November 2018.
In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the Police Department called the actions of those involved “heroic” and “a testament to the dangers law enforcement officers face daily.”
“Today, some of our fellow colleagues made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our community,” the statement read. “We are grateful for the bravery shown by all officers and outpouring of responses from our neighboring agencies.”
U.S. Marshals have 56 local task forces. Funding is granted, the agency’s website says, often “through initiatives such as the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces, and Project Safe Neighborhoods task forces.”
“Today we lost some heroes, that are out simply trying to keep our community safe,” Jennings said. “They knew what they were going into, and still held their own in attempting to apprehend this suspect.”
At least three people were in the home when lawmen arrived with the warrant. One is dead, two others – a woman and a 17-year-old boy – were being questioned.
