Biden will meet with families of police officers killed in Charlotte

President Biden will meet Thursday with the families of police officers who were killed in the line of duty in Charlotte, NC

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

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

Biden will then travel to Wilmington, North Carolina, to deliver remarks on 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 police attempted 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 seriously injured before dying at the hospital, according to WSOC-TV.

Biden has emphasized his support for law enforcement amid Republican attacks on U.S. crime. He has previously rejected policies that he believes are too weak in fighting crime and has advocated funding for police departments to allow them to hire more officers and spend more time in communities.

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

Biden’s trip to North Carolina comes as his campaign aims to flip 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.