ALBAWABA - Four US law enforcement officers were killed and four others wounded in a an exchange of gunfire Monday while carrying out a warrant at a home in the southern state of North Carolina, officials said.
The wanted individual was eventually discovered dead on the premises after shooting multiple officers, and officers returned fire, according to a statement from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), following a three-hour chase.
Five other officers were also shot, with one from the local police force in "critical condition," CMPD said on social media. CMPD later announced the death of one of the injured officers, saying in a post on X that he had "passed away tonight from his injuries after being shot in the line of duty this afternoon while assisting other officers with the apprehension of a suspect".
According to the CMPD chief, Johnny Jennings, law enforcement officials were serving an arrest warrant on a wanted convicted felon when they were met with heavy gunfire. Officers returned fire and hit one person, who was later pronounced dead, before facing additional gunfire from inside the home, Jennings said.
According to CMPD, according to a preliminary investigation, the man subject of the felony warrant "discharged his firearm striking multiple officers." Police returned fire, and "the suspect was pronounced deceased at the residence," according to the statement.
Jennings stated that following a standoff, authorities raided the property and discovered a 17-year-old and a woman inside, who were taken to the police station as "persons of interest."
He described the incident as an "absolutely tragic day for the city of Charlotte and the profession of law enforcement".
US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the Justice Department was "heartbroken by the deaths... of our own law enforcement colleagues".
