MORNING NEWSBREAK | Monday brought one of the deadliest days in memory for law enforcement officers in the South. Eight were shot, including four fatally, in east Charlotte as a U.S. Marshals task force tried to serve a warrant at a residence. The suspect fired at them, was shot and died in the front yard.
According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, members of the task force about 1:30 p.m. Monday were trying to serve a warrant on someone for being a felon in possession of a firearm. When they approached the residence, the suspect fired at the officers, who returned fire. As the police approached the shooter in his yard, more gunshots reportedly were fired from inside the house, wounding several officers. After an hours-long standoff, two women in the home were taken into custody.
“Today is an absolute tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the profession of law enforcement,” Jennings said. “Today, we lost some heroes that are out simply trying to keep our community safe.”
Three of the officers killed were members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force — a U.S. Marshal and two N.C. Department of Corrections officers, according to Jennings. The fourth officer was a member of the CMPD as were the other four injured officers.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have joined other state and federal agencies in the investigation.
In other area headlines:
CP NEWS: Community groups step up demands for school improvement. Two advocacy groups met this month with local school officials to discuss the functions of the Charleston County School District Board of Trustees and student academic performance — signs that controversies in the district are making voters more politically astute, one local pastor said.
- Charleston Co. fails to vote on proposed charter school.
- CCSD board names new deputy superintendent, staff attorney.
Authorities identify 2 pedestrians killed Sunday in Charleston. Officials on Monday afternoon identified two 20-year-old women from Simpsonville who died Sunday in a hit-and-run accident in downtown Charleston near an entrance to the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. One was a student studying at the College of Charleston, the school confirmed. Family members are seeking answers.
Audit finds Charleston Co. judge violated rules for credit card use. Charleston County Probate Judge Irv Condon‘s office has had its credit cards taken away following reports of questionable spending that prompted an audit, according to this story. The audit reportedly found more than $15,000 in unauthorized spending.
Officials address odor, environmental testing for homes near West Ashley landfill. Members of the S.C. Department of Environmental Control, Charleston Water Systems and Charleston County Council are set to share results from a multi-age report, which describes the results of soil sampling, air quality testing and odor regulation tactics in communities near the Bees Ferry Landfill.
Charleston Co. Emergency Management Program receives full accreditation. Charleston County’s emergency management program has received full accreditation for the second time, a testament to the county’s emergency preparedness and response.
New documentary explores Gullah Geechee people’s relationship with the land. Charleston filmmaker partnered with a Washington, D.C.-based filmmaker to create A Tree Story: Gullah/Geechee Roots and Resilience, a film about Gullah-Geechee communities — the descendants of enslaved West and Central Africans — on Charleston’s sea islands and their cultural and spiritual connection to trees.
S.C. average gas prices follow national trend down. The average price for a gallon of gas fell 1.9 cents over the past week to an average of $3.21 per gallon, following a national trend of decreasing prices.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No newspaper subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations from downtown to North Charleston to Johns Island to Summerville to Mount Pleasant.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.