⏱ 2 min read
Derrick Gathers, a 40-year-old from Augusta, Georgia, shot a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper during a traffic stop on August 16, 2023, in Bamberg County. The trooper, Lance Corporal Frazier, had pulled Gathers over for speeding on Highway 78. When Frazier approached the vehicle to investigate a potentially fake driver’s license, Gathers pulled out a firearm and shot the trooper in the face before speeding away.
Trooper Frazier’s injuries were non-life threatening, and he was able to return fire along with a Bamberg County Sheriff’s Department deputy who was providing support during the stop. Gathers’ vehicle was later found crashed in Branchville, and he was taken into custody. A search of the vehicle turned up a loaded pistol under the brake pedal, which was confirmed to be the gun used to shoot Frazier.
Gathers has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm, with 80 months of the sentence to be served consecutively to his current state sentence. US Attorney Bryan Stirling stated that the case highlights the risks faced by law enforcement and the threat posed by felons with guns.
The sentence is the result of a federal prosecution that supports law enforcement partners by holding offenders accountable for putting lives at risk. The case involved multiple agencies, including the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the Bamberg County Sheriff’s Department, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Department.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: South Carolina
- Location: SC
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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