Department of Adult Correction workers killed in Charlotte shootout

CHARLOTTE — Two victims of a deadly police shootout in east Charlotte on Monday were veterans of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Secretary Todd Ishee wrote in a statement late Monday evening that Sam Poloche and William “Alden” Elliott were shot and killed while working with a U.S. Marshals task force.

The group was working to serve an arrest warrant for a wanted felon in east Charlotte when the suspect opened fire, killing four law enforcement officers. Four more officers were shot during the standoff.

According to Ishee, Poloche and Elliott worked for the department for 14 years. Poloche had joined the department’s Special Operations and Intelligence Unit in 2013 and Elliott joined the unit in 2016.

“These officers died as heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to our state,” Ishee said in a statement. “We remember them, we honor their service, we send our deepest condolences to their families and friends, and we pray for healing for all affected by this tragic incident.”

Alden Elliott

A procession was held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday along Highway 16 back to Alden Elliott’s hometown of Newton, where his family lives. Friends told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty that Elliott went to Newton-Conover High School.

Elliott’s friend, Jason Chapman, showed Faherty his text messages with Elliott on Saturday. The two were supposed to get together Tuesday but that never happened.

“Alden was an excellent guy,” Chapman said. “He was a fantastic person. Really intelligent. He loved what he done.”

Chapman said Elliott served in the military and sold cars with him when he got out before becoming a law enforcement officer.

For the past 14 years, Elliott worked for the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction and was also on the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Task Force. When Chapman heard about the shooting on Monday, he text Elliott worried he was there but never got a response.

“It was rough. It really was, and I’ve got a son-in-law in law enforcement,” Chapman said. “It’s really hard.”

At the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday, all of the deputies were wearing black badges to honor the fallen officers.

Sheriff Don Brown visited with the family Tuesday, along with the district attorney. Brown said Elliott worked closely with his deputies and even checked on sex offenders in Catawba County just a few weeks ago.

“Law enforcement is a huge family and we take care of one another. When one hurts, we all hurt,” Brown said. “We now have an obligation to take care of those families and make sure they have every resource they need.”

Elliott and his wife were parents to one child. The 12-year-old boy penned an obituary for his dad on Thursday.

“He was the best man I will ever know. And I hope to be just like him,” he writes.

Sam Poloche

In a social media post Wednesday, the FBI Charlotte said Sam Poloche was a task force officer there. He was an investigator on the FBI’s white collar crime and public corruption squads for four years, they said.

“Your #FBI family misses you a great deal,” the post on X, formerly Twitter, reads.

North Carolina Division of Adult Correction Investigator Sam Poloche will be greatly missed by his #FBICharlotte family. Sam was a task force officer on our white collar crime and public corruption squads for four years. Your #FBI family misses you a great deal. pic.twitter.com/zST10eOcDu
— FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) May 1, 2024

Poloche was born in Valencia, Venezuela.

Telemundo Charlotte learned that his family emigrated to the United States months after his birth. They settled down in Florida, where he lived most of his life.

Poloche is survived by his wife, Cielo, and two children, ages 18 and 21.