'My daddy is a hero': Son's heartbreaking poem honors father killed in the line of duty

NEWTON, N.C. — A procession for U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Officer Alden Elliott escorted his body from Charlotte to Catawba County on Thursday. 

Elliott was one of the four officers killed when an attempted arrest turned into a deadly shootout in east Charlotte. His body was taken from the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office in west Charlotte along North Carolina 16 to Bennett Funeral Home in Newton, which is the town where his family lives. Elliott is survived by his wife and child. 

Elliott was a 14-year veteran with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, and was a Marine. He joined the NCDAC Special Operations and Intelligence Unit in 2016 after serving as a parole officer. 

"These officers died as heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to our state," NC Secretary of Adult Correction Todd Ishee said in a release. "We remember them, we honor their service, we send our deepest condolences to their families and friends, and we pray for healing for all affected by this tragic incident."

During the procession, some businesses along Highway 16 hung flags to pay tribute. 

"Just showing that we appreciate everything they do, every day," Steve Sanders said.    

"It's respect not just for the officer, not just the departments, but for the families." Roger Richards said.    

Earlier this week, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings called the fallen officers heroes. 

"When you hear the gunshots, and the rapid fire and they're running directly into it because there are people who need help," Chief Jennings said. "To me that's truly heroic."  

"If you could speak to each one of those fallen officers and ask the question, would you do this again? Knowing your fate? Would you do it again? It would be a boisterous yes," U.S. Marshal Western District, Terry Bergen, said. 

While most know the sadness will continue for some time, there's hope in leaning on each other through the tragedy. 

"We're a resilient profession and resilient city, and we'll certainly get through this," Jennings said. 

"Keep your head high and keep the good Lord with you," Sanders said. 

A memorial service with military honors will be held on Thursday, May 9, to celebrate Elliott's life. It will take place at 6 p.m. at the Tarlton Complex on the campus of Catawba Valley Community College. The event will be held at 2540 Highway 70 SE in Hickory. 

Son remembers dad with poem

The Bennett Funeral Home in Newton shared a poem attributed to his son, Theo. The following is an excerpt from the poem:

"My daddy is a hero. 

He died getting the bad guys, that's what he was good at. 

He is a Marine. 

He is a Police Officer. 

He is kind and patient. 

He keeps my mom and I safe. 

He is my daddy; the best daddy."

The poem also references Elliott playing video games with his son and plans to teach him how to ride a dirt bike Theo got for his 12th birthday. 

Theo closed the poem with, "I hope to be just like him." 

Bennett Funeral Home shared a message saying Elliott "deeply loved his family and took great pride in watching Theo's path to becoming a young man." In place of flowers, the family is encouraging the community to make donations supporting Theo. Checks can be made payable to Edward Jones for the benefit of Theo James Elliott. 

More information can be found on the funeral home's official website.

Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

If your loved one was impacted by this incident, WCNC Charlotte hopes to make this process less painful with our More Than A Number initiative. With your help, we want to share who your loved one was with our viewers in North Carolina and South Carolina. When you're ready, fill out the form below or send us photos, memories and other details about them to desk@wcnc.com.