Four police officers were shot dead and four others were wounded in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a suspect was found dead, local police said on Monday, cited by Reuters.
US police carPhoto: Kyle Mazza / Zuma Press / Profimedia
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings said at a news conference that the four officers who were killed were part of a federal sheriff’s task force made up of officers from multiple agencies.
“Today is an absolutely tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the police profession,” Jennings said. “Today we lost several heroes who just wanted to keep our community safe.”
The officers who were killed were attempting to serve a warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. They arrived at a residence where the suspect was located, and he began shooting at officers, Jennings said. They retaliated, and the suspect was killed in the front yard.
The officers were then attacked with gunfire from inside the home. After a tense standoff, a SWAT team evacuated the home and took two people inside into custody. Jennings said at least one of them is believed to have fired at the officers.
In addition to the four officers killed, Jennings said four members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department who were at the scene were shot. One officer is in critical condition, the other three are stable.
