North Carolina shootout: Four law officers serving warrant killed, four wounded

Multiple law enforcement vehicles respond in the neighbourhood where several officers on a task force trying to serve a warrant were shot in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo / AP

Four law officers serving a warrant for illegal firearms possession were killed and four other officers were wounded in a shootout today (NZ time) at a North Carolina home, police said.

Some of the officers who rushed to the Charlotte neighbourhood to rescue the first wave of downed officers were wounded as a second shooter began firing on them after they killed the wanted man.

“Today we lost some heroes who were out simply trying to keep our community safe,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said at a news conference.

After a three-hour standoff, armoured vehicles smashed into the home, ripping off windows and doorways. Several armoured vehicles were parked across yards, some with tree branches dangling off them.

The US Marshals Task Force was fired on by the wanted suspect as they approached the house and the man was killed in the front yard, Jennings said. His name was not released but Jennings said he was wanted as a felon illegally possessing a weapon.

A second person then fired on officers from inside the home, where a high-powered rifle was later found.

A woman and a 17-year-old male were found in the home after the standoff. The two were being questioned, Jennings said.

Officers and police vehicles in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, after the deadly shootout. Photo / AP

The US Marshals Service confirmed one of its agents was killed. Two officers from North Carolina’s Department of Adult Correction were also killed, said Governor Roy Cooper, who was in the city speaking to the families of the killed and injured officers. Their names have not been officially released.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Joshua Eyer died a few hours later in hospital, Jennings said. Eyer was named the officer of the month for the force a few weeks ago.

“He certainly gave his life and dedicated his life to protecting our citizens,” Jennings said.

One other member of the US Marshals Task Force, which is made up of federal agents and other officers from across the region, was injured.

Three Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers who responded to the scene were shot while trying to rescue the wounded officers.

Neighbours said gunfire lasted for several minutes.

WSOC-TV said its helicopter crew saw an armoured vehicle driving through yards and knocking over recycling bins before officers removed a person with blood on their shirt who was then loaded into an ambulance.

Multiple law enforcement vehicles responded in the neighbourhood after several officers on a task force trying to serve a warrant were shot. Photo / AP

After the home was cleared, the helicopter pilot said he couldn’t film the front lawn because the scene was too graphic and disturbing.

“A lot of the questions that need to be answered, we don’t even know what those questions are now,” Jennings said, briefing reporters less than four hours after the shooting. “We have to get a full understanding of why this occurred and also uphold the integrity of the investigation.”

Many roads in the area, including Interstate 77, were closed so ambulances could get to hospitals faster. TV footage showed speeding ambulances escorted by vehicles in front and behind with their sirens wailing.

Rissa Reign was cleaning her house when she heard the first shots ring out. There was a pause, then a second set of shots and a third. She stepped outside.

“When we came outside, there were no cops at all, then cops started rushing, rushing, rushing, rushing in,” she said, adding that armoured trucks quickly followed and they “were going over the grass, everything, and they started shooting again”.

Armed police continued to patrol the area after the shooting. Photo / AP

The neighbourhood of single and two-storey brick homes with small trimmed lawns was usually safe, said Alex Rivera, who lives nearby with his cousin.

“I see, like, 50 police cars zooming in and then I hear gunshots. I was scared because there was so much going on.”

Another neighbour, William Cunningham, was moved to tears as he sat on his porch. He said he was a Gulf War veteran but never expected such violence in his neighbourhood.

“Bless those officers and bless their families,” he said. “Nobody should get killed over a warrant.”

Four Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools were placed in lockdown but that was lifted in the late afternoon.

Police urged people to stay away from the neighbourhood and asked residents to remain in their homes until the all-clear was given.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting and spoke with Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles to express his condolences and support for the community.

“They are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us,” Biden said in a statement. “We mourn for them and their loved ones. And we pray for the recoveries of the courageous officers who were wounded.”

The last marshal shot and killed in the line of duty was in November 2018. Chase White was shot in Tucson, Arizona, by a man wanted for stalking local law enforcement officers, the agency said.

The Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force is headquartered in Charlotte and comprises about 70 federal, state and local agencies. Fugitive task forces are collaborations between agencies to find and arrest suspects.

In six years, the regional task force has caught more than 8900 fugitives, according to the US Marshals Service website.

In March 2007, two Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers were killed while responding to a domestic dispute by someone not directly involved in the fight. Demeatrius Antonio Montgomery is serving a life sentence for killing officers Jeffrey Shelton and Sean Clark.