WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will once again fulfill his role as consoler-in-chief on Thursday as he meets privately with the families of four police officers tragically killed in a shooting earlier this week in North Carolina.
Originally scheduled to travel to Wilmington, North Carolina, on Thursday to deliver a speech on rebuilding infrastructure and creating good-paying jobs, the White House has added a stop to Charlotte to his itinerary.
The four officers were killed on Monday when a gunman, armed with a high-powered rifle, opened fire on them from the second floor of a residence while a task force, composed of officers from several agencies, was attempting to serve a felony warrant in Charlotte. Multiple officers were hit, and the other task force members called for reinforcements.
As local police arrived and began rescuing the downed task force members, more gunfire erupted from the house, striking additional officers, police reported.
The fallen officers were identified as Sam Poloche, 42, and Alden Elliot, 46, both with the state's Department of Adult Correction; Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Weeks Jr., 48, of Mooresville, North Carolina; and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Officer Joshua Eyer, 31.
The gunman, 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes Jr., exited the house with a firearm and was shot by police. He was pronounced dead on the front lawn.
In a statement on Monday, Biden praised the fallen officers as “heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us.” He likened the death of a police officer to “losing a piece of your soul.”
Biden's meeting with the families of the slain officers in Charlotte will also include officers wounded in the shooting, as well as other law enforcement officers and elected officials.
Throughout his presidency, Biden has frequently taken on the role of consoler-in-chief, offering comfort to families affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, natural disasters, and victims of mass shootings in various cities.