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Crime & Courts

Georgia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Gun Charge in Trooper Shooting

Derrick Gathers was sentenced in South Carolina federal court after shooting a state highway patrolman during a 2023 traffic stop.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 10:21 a.m. ET
On August 13, 2026, Derrick Gathers, 40, of Augusta, Georgia, was to 180 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm, according to an official court record from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina. Eighty months of the 180-month sentence will be served consecutively to his current state sentence, while one hundred months will be served concurrently to the state sentence, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. According to the official record, on Aug. 16, 2023, Lance Corporal Frazier with the South Carolina Highway Patrol stopped Gathers for speeding on Highway 78 in Bamberg County. After taking Gathers' driver's license and vehicle registration to run a routine check, Trooper Frazier developed concerns regarding the license's authenticity. When Trooper Frazier reapproached the vehicle, Gathers pulled out a firearm, shot Trooper Frazier in the face, and fled. Trooper Frazier sustained non-life threatening injuries. Both Trooper Frazier and a supporting deputy from the Bamberg County Sheriff's Department returned fire. Gathers later lost control of his vehicle and crashed in Branchville during a law enforcement pursuit before being taken into custody. A search warrant executed on the vehicle by the Dorchester County Sheriff's Department revealed a pistol loaded with 9mm ammunition under the brake pedal, which SLED confirmed matched the firearm used to shoot Trooper Frazier. Gathers had previous felony convictions in New York for 3rd degree rape and 2nd degree possession of a weapon, which legally prevent him from possessing firearms or ammunition. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis Gathers to 180 months in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina noted that felons with guns pose a serious threat to communities, and ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones affirmed that threats against law enforcement cannot be tolerated.

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Revision history

  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 14:22

    First published.

  2. Version 120 Aug 2026, 14:21current

    First published.

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