Charlotte Police Department, North Carolina
End of Watch: Monday, August 6, 1990
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 5, 1990
Weapon Used: Handgun; .22 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Police Officer Terry Lyles was shot and killed by a man he had arrested who had managed to conceal a .22 caliber handgun in his underwear when searched.
As Officer Lyles drove the suspect to headquarters, he opened fire, while still handcuffed, from the backseat of the patrol car, striking Officer Lyles in the back of his bullet-proof vest twice. After wrecking into an embankment, the suspect shot Officer Lyles in the head as he fled from his patrol car.
The suspect, an ex-convict, 43, who was released from prison in 1984 after serving seven years for manslaughter, was apprehended and sentenced to death. He was later awarded a new trial and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on April 8th, 1994. As of June 9, 2023, he was in prison.
Officer Lyles had served in law enforcement for just over 2-1/2 years. He is survived by his wife, parents, two brothers, two sisters, and a stepdaughter.