Biden to meet with families of fallen police officers in Charlotte

President Biden on Thursday will meet with families of the police officers who were killed in the line of duty in Charlotte, N.C.

The president will travel to Charlotte Douglas International Airport to “pay his respects to the brave law enforcement officers killed and wounded in the line of duty in Charlotte on Monday,” according to the White House.

At the Charlotte airport, he will meet with families of the fallen officers, the wounded law enforcement officers, and other law enforcement officers, as well as elected officials. 

Biden will then travel to Wilmington, N.C., to give remarks about his agenda, including rebuilding infrastructure and creating jobs, according to the White House.

Four police officers were killed Monday in east Charlotte while trying to serve an arrest warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The officers tried to approach the individual and were met with gunfire.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks and Sam Poloche and William Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections were killed. Officer Joshua Eyer was critically wounded before he later died at the hospital, according to WSOC-TV.

Biden has stressed his support for law enforcement amid hits from Republicans over crime across the U.S. He has previously pushed back against policies he believes are too weak on crime and has championed funding for police departments to allow them to hire more officers and spend more time in communities.

Also, in the 2020 Democratic primary, he distanced himself from the “defund the police” movement that gained momentum among some progressives in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in Minnesota.

Biden’s trip to North Carolina comes as his campaign has set its sights on flipping the state that former President Trump won in 2020. Biden also traveled to the Tar Heel State in March, and Vice President Harris visited Charlotte in April.