Four officers killed in Charlotte had 8 children, 'loved their work'

President Joe Biden will visit the Queen City on Thursday to meet the families of four officers shot and killed earlier in the week.

Authorities have identified Samuel "Sam" Poloche, Joshua Eyer and William "Alden" Elliot and Thomas M. Weeks, Jr. as the four law enforcement officers who died in Monday's shooting in Charlotte. The four officers in total leave behind families with eight children, including young kids.

A total of eight officers were shot Monday, according to police, and a ninth officer broke his foot, when a suspect opened fire from the upstairs of a Charlotte home.

Three members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force died in the shooting, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, along with a Charlotte police officer. The four officers killed were identified as:

• Thomas M Weeks, Jr., a U.S. Marshal assigned to the Fugitive Task Force
• Samuel "Sam" Poloche, with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction
• William "Alden" Elliot, with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction
• Joshua Eyer, a 6-year veteran of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

On Wednesday, a processional carried Weeks' body from the Medical Examiner's Office to the Cavin-Cook Funeral Home in Mooresville. A stretch of Interstate 77 from the I-85 interchange was closed during the procession.

A processional will be held Thursday for Elliot, and a memorial service will be held Friday for Eyer.

Officers leave behind 8 children, 'loved their work'

According to WCNC Charlotte, Weeks, 48, leaves behind a wife and four children. He was a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service and spent the last 10 years of his career in Charlotte, WCNC reports.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reports Eyer, who leaves behind a wife and child, served in CMPD’s North Tryon Division for six years and was a member of the 178th Recruit Class. Eyer had just been named one of the department's employees of the month for April, according to The Associated Press.

Poloche and Elliott were both 14-year veterans of the state Department of Adult Correction, according to the agency, which wrote they "loved their work and were passionate about their roles in protecting our communities."

According to the DAC, Poloche leaves behind a wife and two children, and Elliot and his wife were parents to one child.

"These officers died as heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to our state," the DAC wrote. "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."

Biden was originally scheduled to visit Wilmington on Thursday to discuss infrastructure and environmental issues, his third trip to North Carolina this year, according to Jill Hopman, chair of the New Hanover Democratic Party. It's unclear if the Charlotte visit will impact the Wilmington trip.

Memorial services

Memorial services for the four officers will be listed here as details are announced.

Joshua Eyer: A memorial service will be held Friday, May 3, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church at 301 S. Davidson St. in Charlotte. The service will be livestreamed on this website and on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's YouTube and Facebook pages. Additionally, a processional march involving CMPD employees and other law enforcement personnel will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Law Enforcement Center at 601 E. Trade St. and will wrap up at First Baptist Church preceding the service.

Thomas M Weeks, Jr.: Not yet announced

Samuel "Sam" Poloche: Not yet announced

William "Alden" Elliot: On Thursday, May 2, at 10:30 a.m., a procession honoring fallen officer Alden Elliot will leave the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners’ Office and travel to Bennett Funeral Home in Newton. The route will solely take place on N.C. 16. The procession is expected to last one hour.

How to help the families

People looking for information on how to donate to the families of the four fallen officers or to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation can visit charlottepolicefoundation.org. Donors should indicate in the PayPal comment section how they would like their donations to be allocated.

For those wishing to send personal gifts, cards, or item donations, they can be delivered or mailed to 601 E. Trade St., Charlotte.

On Tuesday night the Charlotte Knights honored fallen officers with baseball caps stenciled "CMPD" and "USMS" on the field.