‘One of the greatest’: Friends mourn CMPD officer killed in east Charlotte shootout

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its officers and three other law enforcement officers after a deadly shootout Monday afternoon.

CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said late Monday night that officer Joshua Eyer was one of the people killed by a suspect in east Charlotte. Three members of the U.S. Marshals task force were also killed in the standoff.

Eyer had joined CMPD in October of 2017, according to the department.

He came equipped with plenty of experience in policing. Before joining CMPD, he had served as a military police officer in the Army National Guard, including at least one deployment to Afghanistan, according to his Facebook profile. The 211th Military Police Company posted a statement on Facebook remembering Eyer’s service, saying “he will be sorely missed.”

Just a week ago, Eyer was featured on CMPD’s Facebook page after earning Officer of the Month for the North Tryon Division.

Jennings said Eyer is survived by his wife, Ashley, and 3-year-old son, Andrew.

‘Above and beyond’

As a shattered community is honoring Eyer’s life, his friends and colleagues are remembering the respectful and honorable man he was.

Vermanno Bowman served alongside Eyer in the North Carolina Army National Guard, and he told Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz that Eyer was someone he could depend on.

“He was always a person who had my back, whether it was in the military or civilian life,” Bowman said.

Bowman told Sáenz that Eyer deployed overseas twice during his military service.

“He always was putting himself above and beyond the rank that he had on his chest,” Bowman said. “He will always go down as one of the greatest in my eyes.”

Daniel Redford is the president of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police and a fellow CMPD officer. He told Sáenz that the FOP is paying tribute to all of the officers killed and supporting the families of the fallen.

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“We have four families now whose loved ones are never going to walk through that door again,” Redford said.

At the FOP is a wall of honor, remembering all of the officers killed in the line of duty in Mecklenburg County.

“Unfortunately, we will have to add four more faces and names to this wall,” Redford said.

Honoring the fallen

On Tuesday, CMPD said a memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. Friday for Eyer.

A procession will start from the Law Enforcement Center at 601 E. Trade Street and end at First Baptist Church on S. Davidson Street for the service.

The memorial service will be streamed live on WSOCTV.com.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the families of the officers who were shot. You can donate by clicking this link.

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Channel 9 is working on learning more about Eyer. Check back for updates.

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