Southeast
First look at Charlotte house where shootout left 4 officers dead, 4 others injured
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New photos taken by Fox News Digital show the devastation left in the wake of the deadly shootout in Charlotte, North Carolina, that left four law enforcement officers dead and four others injured.
The brick home was badly damaged in the gunfight. Photos show the entire front of the home busted open, exposing the inside. Debris is scattered all throughout the front yard.
The shootout happened Monday afternoon. It began when a U.S. Marshals Task Force attempted to serve a warrant for firearm possession by a convicted felon. Police said suspect Terry Clark Hughes Jr., 39, opened fire on officers from the second floor of the Galway Drive home. He also fired at officers from the front and back of the house. Hughes died at the scene, police said.
Officials said more than 100 rounds were fired in the shootout. Law enforcement, including 12 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officers returned fire at the house.
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Investigators told Fox News Digital that they are still sorting through evidence at the scene.
So far, investigators have discovered an AR-15 rifle, a 40-caliber handgun, ammo and magazines in the residence after they responded to the scene.
The four fallen officers have been identified as Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Weeks Jr; North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) Officers Sam Poloche and William “Alden” Elliot, who were members of a USMS Fugitive Task Force; and CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer.
Officer Christopher Tolley, an 18-year CMPD veteran, underwent surgery. He was in stable condition, CMPD said.
CHARLOTTE SHOOTING: 4 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED, 4 INJURED AS US MARSHALS TASK FORCE SERVED WARRANT
Officer Michael Giglio, a 3-year CMPD veteran, was treated for gunshot wound injuries at the hospital and released Monday.
Officer Jack Blowers has been with CMPD for one year. He was also treated for gunshot wound injuries at the hospital and was discharged Monday.
Officer Justin Campbell has been with CMPD since 2023. He was treated for a broken foot and was released Monday, CMPD said.
During a press conference on Tuesday, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings gave an emotional update.
CHARLOTTE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO DIED IN SHOOTOUT IDENTIFIED: ‘FOREVER INDEBTED’
“What I’ll say is that our system is not completely where it needs to be, but… I really think we’re overwhelmed. We’re overwhelmed in the court system. Our district attorney is overwhelmed with the docket that we see within Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and I don’t have an answer for that,” Jennings said.
Jennings said it is unclear if the gunshots came from more than one suspect, and police are still working to determine if there was a second shooter and whether any additional charges will be filed.
CHARLOTTE RESIDENTS SHOCKED AFTER 4 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DIE, 4 OTHERS INJURED IN SHOOTOUT
Two female persons of interest — including one 17-year-old juvenile — who were in the house at the time of the shooting were taken into custody Monday afternoon and are fully cooperating with police.
“As more and more comes out about this incident, not only when you see how brave they were,” USMS Director Ron Davis said Tuesday. “You will see examples of their courage and bravery. Let there be no mistake. They represent the best of us. They are truly America’s finest, and it’s just an honor to serve with them.”
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Southeast
Florida sheriff's deputy seen fatally shooting 23-year-old US airman
A Florida sheriff’s office released body camera video that showed the fatal shooting by a sheriff’s deputy of a 23-year-old U.S. airman.
Body camera footage released by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office showed a sheriff’s deputy responding to Senior Airman Roger Fortson’s apartment on May 3, for a disturbance call.
The video showed the deputy arriving at a Fort Walton Beach apartment building and speaking to a woman outside who described someone hearing an argument. The deputy then went up an elevator and walked down an outdoor hallway.
In the video, a deputy was seen knocking on Fortson’s apartment and announcing that he was with the sheriff’s office.
“Sheriff’s office, open the door,” the officer is heard saying. “Step out.”
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The deputy then opened fire on Fortson just moments after he opened his apartment door while holding a gun pointing down.
“Drop the gun, drop the gun,” the officer said.
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“I don’t have it,” Fortson said.
Following the shooting, the deputy is heard telling Fortson to not move and then is heard calling on his radio for emergency medical services before the video ends.
During a news conference, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden told reporters it “pained” him to show the video.
“It pains me to show the video, but I know that you all need to see it,” he said.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Fortson’s family, accused the deputy of going to the wrong apartment and said the shooting was unjustified.
The 23-year-old was transported to Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by the Air Force via dignified transfer at 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, Crump said.
His family is preparing for his funeral on Friday at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia.
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Fortson was stationed at Hurlburt Field and was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron.
He was assigned as a gunner aboard an AC-130J, and earned an Air Medal with a combat device, Hurlbert Field announced in a Facebook post
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Southeast
Jimmy Carter’s grandson says former president is ‘coming to the end’
Jimmy Carter’s grandson provided an update on the former president’s health after he spent more than a year in hospice care, reconciling that his life is “coming to the end.”
Jason Carter, 48, addressed a mental health forum at the Carter Center in Georgia on Tuesday, where he said his grandfather was “doing ok” and praised the “outpouring of love” his family has received after the passing of the former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the forum’s namesake.
“My grandfather is doing okay. He has been in hospice, as you know, for almost a year and a half now, and he really is, I think, coming to the end,” Jason Carter said at The 28th Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum. “I’ve said before, there’s a part of this faith journey that is so important to him, and there’s a part of that faith journey that you only can live at the very end and I think he has been there in that space.”
Jimmy Carter, 99, entered hospice care in February 2023.
JIMMY CARTER, 99, MARKS ONE YEAR IN HOME HOSPICE CARE
During his remarks, Jason Carter remembered his grandmother and the impact her passing had on the family — including the former president.
“My grandmother’s passing was a difficult moment for all of us, including my grandfather,” Jason Carter added.
He also thanked the multitude of commemorations his family had received.
JIMMY CARTER, LONGEST LIVING US PRESIDENT, TURNS 99
“The outpouring of love and support that we, as a family, received from people in this room and from the rest of the world was so remarkable and meaningful to us. And it really turned that whole process into a celebration,” the grandson continued.
Jason Carter also described a conversation he shared with the former president weeks ago as they watched the MLB.
“I said, ‘Papa, you know, I can’t- people ask me how you’re doing, and I say I don’t know.’ And he said, ‘Well, I don’t know myself,’” the grandson recounted. “So he is still there.”
Jimmy Carter is the oldest living president in history. George H.W. Bush, the previous holder of that record, passed away in 2018. He was 94 at the time.
The former Democratic president has survived brain cancer, liver cancer and various medical procedures.
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Southeast
Invasive African lizard spotted moving north in Florida
An invasive lizard from Africa that has settled in South Florida was spotted moving up the coast of the Sunshine State.
The Peter’s rock agama has made its way north to parts of Central Florida, with residents of West Melbourne taking notice of the red-headed reptiles.
“I saw the head. It is red, and it’s pretty abnormal, and I have never seen a lizard that big,” resident Jingchen Bi told FOX35 Orlando.
Ken Gioeli, a natural resources extension agent with the University of Florida, told the station that he refers to the lizards’ move up the coast as “the invasion front.”
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“They’re causing some impact to the environment, but we still don’t yet have a total handle on what it is that they’re doing,” he said.
The Peter’s rock agama was first documented in Florida in 1976, and has since established its presence in 20 counties, from Monroe to Volusia, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The species is native to tropical, sub-Saharan Africa.
The lizards’ size and high population densities may impact other species by preying upon native species and competing with them for resources, according to wildlife officials.
VIDEO SHOWS FLORIDA AUTHORITIES WRANGLE ALLIGATOR THAT WANDERED ONTO AIR FORCE BASE TARMAC
The species feeds mostly on ants, grasshoppers, crickets and other insects, according to the FWC, but has also been seen eating snakes, lizards, birds and small mammals.
Adult male Peter’s rock agamas can grow to be 12 inches long, while females of the species can reach lengths of 4 to 5 inches.
It is believed the lizard was introduced to Florida as pets that either escaped or were released.
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As for whether the budding population can be controlled, the FWC says that “eradication of established populations in Florida is likely not feasible.”
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