By Allan Lengel
A deputy U.S. Marshal was among four law officers killed Monday when the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to serve an arrest warrant on a fugitive in Charlotte, North Carolina. Four other officers were shot and wounded.
Thomas M. Weeks Jr., 48, of Mooresville, N. C. was a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service. He served in the Western District of North Carolina for the last 10 years and was part of the team executing the warrant for the arrest of Terry Clark Hughes Jr., 39, who was wanted for possession of a firearm by a felon in Lincoln County.
The incident began around 1:30 p.m. when task force members went to serve a warrant for Hughes. Authorities said when task force members approached the house, Hughes fired on them and they returned fire. Hughes died at the scene.
Officers then came under additional fire, which came from inside the house. Eventually two women inside were arrested.
In all, three of four members of the task force who were shot, died, according to the New York Times. Additionally, four members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were shot, one fatally.
Weeks started his career with the Marshals Service in February 2011 in Superior Court in Washington, D.C. He transferred in November 2014 to Charlotte. Before joining the Marshals Service, he spent eight years with Customs and Border Protection.
He leaves behind a wife and four children.
