4 officers shot dead, 4 hurt in US gun battle

Charlotte, april 30

Four law enforcement officers were shot to death and four others were wounded on Monday in a gun battle that erupted while they were serving a fugitive arrest warrant at a house in Charlotte, North Carolina, authorities said.

The fugitive, who opened fire on officers as they arrived at the residence, was himself fatally shot during the gunfight, and two other suspects were arrested after an ensuing standoff, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident and has spoken with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, the White House said. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department chief Johnny Jennings said three of the officers who were killed were part of a US Marshals Task Force, consisting of officers from multiple agencies. The fourth officer who died was with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Later, Jennings identified Joshua Eyer, who served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for six years, as the fourth officer killed. A US Justice Department statement said one of the four slain officers was a deputy US marshal.

“Today is an absolute tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the profession of law enforcement,” Jennings said. “Today we lost some heroes who were out to just keep our community safe.”

The US Marshals Task Force officers who were killed were attempting to serve a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. — Reuters

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