A neighbor filmed a terrifying shootout between Charlotte police and two gunmen in a blitz of bullets that left four officers dead and another four injured.
A livestream shared by Saing Chhoeun on Facebook shows two heavily-armed cops taking cover behind a vehicle as they engage in the gun battle on Monday.
The video begins with the terrified neighbor seemingly locked outside his house and asking someone to let him in.
The officers repeatedly ask the neighbor to go inside the home, but he informs them he can’t because he does not have the keys.
The shooting happened as four officers were serving a warrant for felon Terry Clark Hughes, who was wanted for possessing a firearm and shot dead in the gun battle.
Charlotte police officer Joshua Eyer died Monday night. He was one of four officers killed
Officer Samuel ‘Sam’ Polche (left) and Officer William ‘Alden’ Elliot (right) died on Monday night in a shooting at a home in Charlotte, North Carolina. They both worked for the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections
Thomas M Meeks is the US Marshal who was killed during the terrifying shootout
Chhoeun also shared images of the property damage left by the shooting
The front of the home of the felon’s home is seen above after the shooting
Samuel ‘Sam’ Polche, William ‘Alden’ Elliot and Charlotte police officer Joshua Eyer died Monday following the horror shooting as they tried to serve warrant. Both Polche and Elliot were North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections officers working with the US Marshal’s office.
The US Marshal killed in the attack has not been named.
Some of the officers who rushed to the Charlotte neighborhood to rescue the first wave of downed officers were wounded, as a second shooter began firing on them. That shooter opened fire after they killed the wanted man, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said.
‘When [officers] approached Hughes they were met by gunfire and returned the gunfire, striking Hughes, who was found deceased in a yard’, Jennings said.
Officers then received ‘additional gunfire’ from within the residence, but it is not yet clear whose bullets struck which officers, and how many cops were hit overall.
Terry Clark Hughes, 39, has been revealed as the suspect officers were searching for before he opened fire at a North Carolina home, sparking a gun fight that left four officers dead
Four officers were killed after a US Marshals Task Force serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm was fired at
The identity of the second shooter also remains unclear as Charlotte cops continue their investigation into the horror gun fight, but they have stated that a woman and a teen, 17, who were found in the home following the shootout are being questioned.
‘Today we lost some heroes who were out simply trying to keep our community safe,’ Jennings said at a news conference.
After a three-hour standoff, the suburban Charlotte home was torn open. Armored vehicles smashed into it, ripping off windows and entire doorways that were left broken. Several armored vehicles were parked across yards, some with tree branches dangling off them.
Police and hospital staff stand as one of the killed officer’s body is taken to medical examiner
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.
A second person then fired on officers from inside the home where a high-powered rifle was found, Jennings added.
A woman and a 17-year-old male were found in the home after the standoff. The two are being questioned, Jennings said.
The Marshal’s Service confirmed one of its agents was killed.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Joshua Eyer died a few hours later at the hospital, Jennings said. Eyer was named the officer of the month for the force for April a few weeks ago, the chief said.
Multiple law enforcement vehicles responded in the Charlotte neighborhood
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings speaks at a press conference
‘He certainty gave his life and dedicated his life to protecting our citizens,’ Jennings said.
One other member of the task force, which is made up of federal agents and other officers from across the region was injured.
Three other Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers who responded to the scene were shot while trying to rescue the wounded officers.
Neighbors said gunfire lasted for several minutes.
WSOC-TV said their helicopter captured an armored 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.
After the home was cleared, the helicopter pilot said he couldn’t show the front lawn of the home because the scene was too graphic and disturbing.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles gets choked up as she speaks at a press conference
‘A lot of the questions that need to be answered, we don’t even know what those questions are now,’ Jennings said, somberly 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.’
President Joe Biden reacted to the shooting on Tuesday, issuing a statement on X.
The Democrat said: ‘Yesterday, four brave law enforcement officers – including a Deputy U.S. Marshal – were killed in Charlotte, North Carolina in the line of duty.
‘They are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us. We mourn for them and their loved ones. And we pray for the recoveries of the courageous officers who were wounded.
‘To the families of those we lost: Jill and I, and all Americans, are here for you. We will always be here for you.’