CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force was attempting to serve a warrant on Galway Drive in east Charlotte Monday afternoon when shots were fired, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. In total eight officers were shot during the encounter, with four of them dying. Another officer from Statesville, also on the task force, was also hurt.
The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force is made up of several agencies in the Charlotte area. The United States Marshals Service currently leads 56 local fugitive task forces nationwide.
Ronald Davis, the deputy director of the U.S. Marshals Service, said the Fugitive Task Force consists of 16 agencies that cover North Carolina. Davis said the task force is a combination of local, state and federal law enforcement coming together to share resources.
David Jolley, a U.S. marshal in east Tennessee, said his agency typically handles the "worst of the worst."
"That's what normally comes to the task force, or the most violent cases," he said. "So homicide cases, maybe violent sexual assault-type cases, rapes would qualify for that."
Jolley said the U.S. Marshals Task Force might also handle larger-scale drug offenders if they’re under federal charges and also some white-collar crimes.
He said his team must be prepared for any situation because they're often dispatched to deal with violent suspects. Jolley explained that it's all about keeping his agents safe.
"That minimizes any opportunities for the people we're going after to shoot at us or turn into a bad situation," Jolley said. "But sometimes they happen because that's the type of people we're dealing with."
David said the U.S. Marshals Service provides significant training for all of its task force deputies and officers. He said they refined the training in 2011, which was a particularly deadly year for the agency.
"We will still always take a look and we will review this incident to see lessons learned and we're always looking for ways to reduce deadly encounters," he said.
There is also another fugitive task force in Charlotte. The Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in January 2018 and is headquartered in Charlotte. This task force has partnership agreements with over 70 federal, state or local agencies.
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In March 2021, a U.S. Marshal fatally shot a man during an attempted arrest at a Charlotte gas station.
In a letter sent to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief Johnny Jennings at that time, District Attorney Spencer B. Merriweather III said his office would decline to bring charges against Officer Eric Tillman as part of their investigation into the death of Frankie Jennings (no apparent relation to Chief Jennings).
Tillman was a member of the US Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (CRFTF) was a member of the force that went to a gas station on The Plaza to arrest Frankie Jennings.
Editor's Note: The Statesville Police Department announced Tuesday evening one of its own officers was among those hurt during the incident. This means five officers were hurt Monday.