One year later: A timeline of the tragic April 29th shootout that shook Charlotte

Yahoo

29-04-2025

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Tuesday marks one year since Charlotte was rocked by one of the deadliest days in its law enforcement history.
What began as a sunny, 79-degree afternoon on April 29, 2024, turned into a harrowing, hours-long shootout that claimed the lives of four officers and injured four more.
Here's how that day, and the days of mourning that followed, unfolded.
1:30 p.m. – Attempted warrant service turns deadlyThe U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrived at a home on Galway Drive to serve a warrant to 39-year-old Terry Hughes, wanted for felony gun possession out of Lincoln County. As officers approached the residence, Hughes opened fire without warning.
Within minutes – officers downLaw enforcement scrambled as bullets tore through the quiet east Charlotte neighborhood. 'Shots fired, shots fired!' rang out over police radios.
Officers reported being pinned down as Hughes fired from a second-story window using a semi-automatic AR-15 and a 40-caliber handgun.
'I got shots fired. He's top window barricaded himself. Several officers are pinned,' one responder radioed in.
More than three hours – a barrage of gunfireFor over three hours, Hughes exchanged fire with law enforcement, reportedly discharging over 100 rounds. Dozens of police units and SWAT officers swarmed the area as efforts to extract the wounded intensified.
Shortly after 4:30 p.m. – standoff endsHughes was eventually shot and killed when he emerged from the second-story window. But the damage had already been done.
That evening – officers confirmed deadThree members of the Task Force — North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Investigators Sam Poloche and William Elliot, and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks — were pronounced dead at the hospital. CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer, a six-year veteran, was critically injured and passed away later that evening.
Injured officers identifiedFour additional CMPD officers were hurt during the shootout:
Officer Christopher Tolley underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition.
Officer Michael Giglio and Officer Jack Blowers were both released from the hospital after being treated for gunshot wounds. Blowers had only been with CMPD for a year at the time.
Officer Justin Campbell was treated for a broken foot.
The days that followed – a city in mourningIn the aftermath, grief swept through Charlotte. Memorials grew outside CMPD headquarters. Processions lined city streets. And stories of heroism and family love came into focus.
'So many people have referred to him as a hero, but before this tragedy, he was already a hero to me and our family,' said the wife of Deputy Marshal Weeks.
Friends of Officer Eyer spoke tearfully about his young son. 'I know Andrew is too young to understand, but you best believe we will let him know the true hero his father was,' one said.
One year later – remembering, honoring, healingGovernor Roy Cooper called it 'one of the darkest days in Charlotte's history.' Police Chief Johnny Jennings reflected on the pain of those days but also on the resilience of the force and the community.
As Charlotte pauses on Tuesday to remember the fallen, there is grief — but also purpose. Said one community member: 'The most that I can ask is that we honor and respect them for the work they've done, and continue working to make our city safer.'
April 29, 2024, will forever be remembered for its tragedy. But every year that follows will be a day to honor the heroes who gave everything to protect their city.
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