‘Numerous’ officers down: How April 29 went from a normal day to tragedy in Charlotte

For almost four hours Monday, an east Charlotte neighborhood was locked down as a shootout between a suspect and law enforcement brought death and destruction.

The shooting killed four law enforcement officers — Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks, Jr., Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer and Adult Correction Officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott. Responding officers killed the suspect, Terry Clark Hughes, Jr. An additional five police officers were injured but are expected to recover.

Many questions remain unanswered about what happened over the course of the hours-long incident, but The Charlotte Observer has used livestreams, emergency scanner traffic, news releases, social media posts, other online records and interviews with neighbors to piece together a timeline of how things unfolded. Police are still reviewing body camera footage that hasn’t been released to the public and putting together their own precise timeline, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said this week.

The records shed light on the deadly shootout and ensuing standoff, as well as the ripple effects across Charlotte on one of the worst days in history for the city’s public safety forces.

The first shots

Jay Chhoeun, who lives next to the home on Galway Drive in the Shannon Park neighborhood where the shooting occurred, was among the first to know something was happening.

Chhoeun arrived home at about 1:30 p.m. Monday when he saw the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force pulling up to his neighbor’s house, he told the Observer the next day. Members of the task force told Chhoeun to go inside his home and take cover, he said. And he heard them announce they were there to serve a warrant as they approached 5525 Galway Drive.

By 1:33 p.m., his father, Saing Chhoeun, was live on Facebook showing two law enforcement officers shooting from behind a car in the family’s backyard. Sirens wail and gunshots pop in rapid succession in the background of the five-minute livestream as the two officers try to shield themselves behind the car and return fire.

CMPD later said the task force was there to arrest Hughes on a warrant for possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of felony flee to elude out of Lincoln County. Investigators say Hughes began to fire on law enforcement from inside the house and the task force quickly radioed for back-up. Jennings said having a CMPD sergeant on the task force made that possible.

At 1:38 p.m., Charlotte Fire dispatch put out the first call for a “Medic routine medical” response at 5525 Galway Drive. Almost immediately, the dispatcher radios again to say the call has been “upgraded to a gunshot.”

At 1:39 p.m., a CMPD helicopter takes off en route to east Charlotte, according to data from FlightAware, a website that tracks aircraft. At the same time, another voice comes over Charlotte Fire’s dispatch frequency to say they’re at CMPD headquarters and advising two officers are down on Galway Drive and a suspect is barricaded.

At 1:49 p.m., CMPD announced a “severe alert” on social media. It warned of an active investigation in the 5000 block of Galway Drive and told residents in the area to shelter inside their homes until further notice.

‘Numerous’ officers down

Video taken at approximately 2 p.m. and shared with the Observer by a neighbor shows fire trucks, ambulances and a fleet of CMPD officers arriving on scene. Gunshots echo across the neighborhood as uniformed officers with guns drawn run down the street.

At 2:16 p.m., CMPD posted an update saying “numerous law enforcement officers” have been shot and announced that “many roads are closed for faster ambulance transport.” By 2:23 p.m., the department said its SWAT team was on site.

Saing Chhoeun went live again on Facebook from 2:21 to 2:24 p.m., showing an armored vehicle outside. Unlike his previous livestream, no gunshots or sirens can be heard in the background.

The first mention of the Marshals Task Force comes when CMPD says at 2:44 p.m. the team “was conducting an investigation in the area of the 5000 block of Galway Dr. when they were engaged by active gunfire from a subject.”

A neighbor reached by an Observer reporter Monday afternoon reported seeing a negotiation tent pop up at about 3 p.m. and an officer “dragged” to an ambulance by other officers.

Standoff stretches on for hours

The number of law enforcement officers responding to Galway Drive was so large that it began to affect other calls for service.

A dispatcher at about 2:15 p.m. asked someone responding to an unrelated car crash if CMPD is on scene, and the person said they doubt police could get there “anytime soon.” The dispatcher said they’d try to get the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office or State Highway Patrol to help, but those agencies were unavailable, too.

“There are no available units anywhere,” the dispatcher says.

During the 3 p.m. hour, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said three schools in the area locked down and delayed dismissal due to the shooting. The Charlotte-Area Transit System alerted riders to bus and Gold Line streetcar delays.

Back on Galway Drive, another neighbor told the Observer by phone at about 4 p.m. they saw more than 150 officers on scene and snipers on roofs. At 4:19 p.m., Saing Chhoeun went live again on Facebook, showing an armored vehicle approaching the house where the suspect was and pulling back after appearing to break out a window.

Photos taken of the home the next day show extensive damage. Police have not said whether this happened before or after Hughes was killed, though they say he died on the home’s front lawn.

An all clear, and a confirmation of tragic news

At 4:56 p.m., CMPD posted a long-awaited announcement: “The residence on Galway Drive is now clear, and the area is safe. Residents no longer need to shelter in place.”

The post says “at least one shooting suspect was located deceased at the residence after clearing the scene.”

By 5:50 p.m., officials gathered at a nearby Family Dollar parking lot to make their first statements on the situation.

The event began with sobering news: confirmation that three law enforcement officers were killed, all from the task force. Those three are later identified as Weeks, Poloche and Elliot.

Jennings told media at the event four CMPD officers were injured, one of whom is in critical condition. CMPD and Statesville Police would later in the week announce two more injuries.

The death toll grew later Monday night as CMPD announced the critically injured officer, Eyer, died from his injuries.

Charlotte Observer reporters Jeff A. Chamer, Ryan Oehrli and Julia Coin contributed to the reporting of this story.

NC Reality Check reflects the Charlotte Observer’s commitment to holding those in power to account, shining a light on public issues that affect our local readers and illuminating the stories that sets the Charlotte region apart. Email realitycheck@charlotteobserver.com