CHARLOTTE — More than 1,800 people gathered to climb the Bank of America Stadium stairs on Sunday as a tribute to four fallen officers.
Last year, four officers were killed in an ambush in east Charlotte. Deputy U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks, task force officers Sam Poloche and Alden Elliot, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Joshua Eyer were killed in the Galway Drive ambush.
April 29 will mark one year since the event.
Sunday morning’s climb is part of the community’s ongoing effort to pay tribute to the officers and support their families. The climb’s host, Tunnel to Towers, has paid off the families’ mortgages.
“We want to rally around you in this tough time,” said climber and former Panther Mike Rucker. “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 climb began early Sunday morning. And just before, the crowd gathered for a ceremony, with speeches from CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings, Mayor Vi Lyles, and the wives of two of the fallen officers.
“We have to have hope, because without it, you can’t survive,” said Kelly Weeks, Tommy Weeks’ wife. “And I could not survive without hope.”
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