AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The United States Department of Justice on Thursday confirmed 40-year-old Derrick Gathers of Augusta, Georgia, has pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to statements made in court, Gathers was stopped by a South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper B.A. Frazier for allegedly speeding on Highway 78 in Bamberg County on April 16, 2023.
Gathers is accused of shooting Trooper Frazier in the face during a traffic stop that followed and fleeing the scene. After a chase that resulted in a crash, Gathers was taken into custody.
Gathers was indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbia, S.C. on Feb. 4, 2025 on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The DOJ said Gathers has previous felony convictions out of New York. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000, restitution, and a term of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.
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