Thousands Climb Stadium Stairs to Honor Fallen Officers on Tragic Anniversary

At Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, a mass of people climbed endless rows of steps on Sunday. The event marked the upcoming one-year point since four officers died in an attack in Charlotte, NC, on April 29, 2024.

The officers who gave their lives, CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer, Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks, and N.C. Department of Adult Corrections Investigators William Elliott and Samuel Poloche, were struck down while working in East Charlotte.

"We want to rally around you in this tough time," said former Panthers player Mike Rucker to WSOC-TV. "That's something we can't forget. We lost officers protecting us. So for us to be able to say thank you to the family, the police force, the fire department, the military. I think that goes a long way."

The morning started with words from those who knew them best. CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings and Mayor Vi Lyles shared their thoughts with the crowd before the climb began.

Tommy Weeks' wife, Kelly, spoke with raw emotion to those who came. "We have to have hope, because without it, you can't survive," she said.

The group behind the event, Tunnel to Towers, stepped in to clear the home loans for the officers' loved ones. This act gives the families one less burden to carry as they cope with their loss.

People still find ways to show they care, and this climb stands as proof. Men and women from police units, fire stations, armed forces, and neighborhoods joined as one to honor the fallen.