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

Derrick Gathers received a 180-month federal sentence for illegal firearm possession stemming from an August 2023 traffic stop shooting.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 20, 2026, 10:21 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 4:54 p.m. ET
According to official court records announced on Aug. 13, 2026, Derrick Gathers, 40, of Augusta, Georgia, was to 180 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm when he shot a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis imposed the sentence, specifying that 80 months will be served consecutively to Gathers's current state sentence and 100 months concurrently, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Court records state that on Aug. 16, 2023, Lance Corporal Frazier with the South Carolina Highway Patrol stopped Gathers for speeding on Highway 78 in Bamberg County. When Trooper Frazier reapproached the vehicle to investigate the driver's license, Gathers shot Trooper Frazier in the face and fled. Trooper Frazier's injuries were non-life threatening. A Bamberg County Sheriff's Department deputy and Trooper Frazier returned fire at the fleeing vehicle, and Gathers later crashed in Branchville before being taken into custody. Law enforcement found a pistol loaded with 9mm ammunition under the brake pedal, which SLED confirmed matched the gun used to shoot Trooper Frazier. Gathers was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous New York felony convictions for 3rd degree rape and 2nd degree possession of a weapon. U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina stated, "This case highlights two realities: law enforcement put their lives at risk every day, and felons with guns pose a serious threat to our communities." ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones stated, "An attack on law enforcement is an attack on the entire community," adding that threats against law enforcement will not be tolerated.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 20, 2026, 10:21 a.m. ETFirst report

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

    On August 13, 2026, Derrick Gathers, 40, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced 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 criminal possession of a weapon, which legally prevent him from possessing firearms or ammunition. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced 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, 20:54current

    First published.

  2. Version 120 Aug 2026, 14:21current

    First published.

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