This afternoon, a Deputy U.S. Marshal and two Task Force Officers were killed in the line of duty and multiple other officers were wounded while serving a state arrest warrant on a fugitive in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued the following statement:

"Every single day, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers put their lives on the line to apprehend some of our country's most dangerous criminals. Today, three of those dedicated public servants made the ultimate sacrifice. Multiple other officers were critically injured while carrying out this operation to protect their community.

"The Justice Department is heartbroken by the deaths of three of our own law enforcement colleagues, and we extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones as they grieve this unfathomable loss."