Anyone who works in law enforcement has a tough job. Some do it better than others, much like any other job, but to do this particular job right, you’re putting yourself in front of some pretty dangerous people on a regular basis.
While most officers will never fire their gun in the line of duty, that potential still exists for them that doesn’t exist for most of us.
That’s something to keep in mind today as we learn more about a standoff that took place sometime Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Four police officers serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and four other officers were wounded in a shootout Monday at a North Carolina home, police said.
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 after they killed the wanted man, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said.
“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.
The U.S. 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. His name was not released, but the chief said he was wanted as a felon illegally possessing a weapon.
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. Two officers from the state Department of Adult Correction also were killed, said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. The governor was in Charlotte and was speaking to the families of the officers killed and hurt. Their names have not been released.
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.
One other officer with the task force–a task force that includes federal agents and officers from throughout the region–was injured as well as three local police officers who were shot.
My prayers go out to all of them and their families as well.
Now, some will look at this and argue that this many police weren’t able to stop a dedicated attacker, so what hope do we have? That would be a fair point were it not for the fact that your average person is never going to try to storm the house of a violent felon.
The situation is different enough to make any comparisons in that regard irrelevant.
What is relevant, however, is that this was allegedly a felon in possession of a firearm. That’s illegal at the federal level, yet bad guys keep getting guns. While some would like to ban whatever firearm the killer used, the truth is that a ban wouldn’t actually stop someone like him. It would inconvenience him at most.
I’m sure we’ll learn a lot more about what happened, the people involved, and so on, but at the end of the day, we have a man who was wanted for being an armed felon who allegedly killed four law enforcement officers and shot four others as well.
You can’t ban that anymore than we already have.
