President Joe Biden is expected to travel to North Carolina on Thursday to meet with the family members of four officers killed earlier this week in the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since 2016.
The president was already scheduled to visit Wilmington, and has added a stop in Charlotte to meet with local officials and the families of officers shot Monday while serving a warrant, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The four officers were killed Monday in Charlotte when a task force made up of officers from different agencies attempted to arrest a man on gun charges. Four others were shot but are expected to recover.
Meanwhile, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are remembering officer Joshua Eyer, one of the officers killed in that shooting.
CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings described meeting Eyer’s family on Monday.
“You know, I hugged Joshua's wife, just to let her know that we're here, that we're gonna be family and we'll make sure that anything that she needs and we'll take care of,” he said, “I'm sure I'll speak with her again but that was while we were at the hospital.”
And a makeshift memorial is growing outside the police station on North Tryon Street, where Eyer’s patrol car driven is draped with an American flag and covered with flowers and cards.
Retired housekeeper Tammy Moungle was among those leaving flowers at the memorial on Wednesday.
“Them guys, they was just doing they job,” she said, “And it’s bad that you can’t do your job and come home and be safe. It’s bad. It’s - it’s just sad.”
Also among those paying their respects at the police station was a class of seventh graders at the neighboring Sugar Creek Charter School.
Civics teacher Phil Javies says he wanted students to see the memorial.
He said, “One of things that I always try to teach them is how to become global citizens and understanding that as African-Americans, we don’t always feel like the police are on our side, but at the end of the day, this is human being, or human beings that lost their lives, so we had to do what’s right.”
Some students bowed their heads, others stood silent.
A memorial service for Eyer is planned for Friday morning.
