UNC Pembroke alumnus killed in Charlotte shootout, university confirms

PEMBROKE, N.C. (WMBF/WBTV) – The University of North Carolina Pembroke lost one of its own in a tragic shootout that took the lives of four law enforcement officers and hurt four others.

The university confirmed that Sam Poloche graduated from the school in 2009 with a criminal justice degree.

Poloche was a task force officer assigned to the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force.

The task force was trying to serve felony warrants on Terry Hughes Jr. when he opened fire and hit multiple officers.

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Officers fired back, shooting and killing Hughes.

Eight officers in total were hit; four with the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force and four with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Poloche, Alden Elliott and Thomas Weeks Jr. were members of the task force who were killed. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Joshua Eyer also died after being taken to the hospital.

Poloche and Elliott were both 14-year veterans with the Department of Adult Corrections.

The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections said Poloche joined the Department of Adult Corrections Special Operations and Intelligence Unit in 2013 and Elliott followed in 2016 after the two served for several years as probation/parole officers.

“They loved their work, and were passionate about their roles in protecting our communities,” NCDAC Secretary Todd Ishee said in a statement. “These officers died as heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to our state.”

Poloche leaves behind a wife and two children.

Elliott had a wife and one child.

Eyer, who the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief said leaves behind a wife and child, had just been named an Officer of the Month just six days ago with the department.

Weeks leaves behind a wife and four children.

Four other law enforcement officers were hurt during the shootout. Our sister station in Charlotte, WBTV, reports that two of the officers have been released, one was treated for a broken foot and released and one underwent surgery.

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