July 15 (UPI) — Federal authorities have charged a 48-year-old man with the murder of U.S. Deputy Marshal Drew Hanson, who was killed Monday while serving an arrest warrant in central Louisiana.
Clarence Frazier Jr. is accused of fatally shooting Hanson on Monday at his Alexandria, La., residence, where authorities were attempting to arrest him on a warrant for failing to appear in state court on charges of sexual battery of a person with infirmities.
Officers forced entry into the residence and found that Frazier had barricaded himself in the bedroom, from where he allegedly opened fire, striking Hanson, who died from his injuries at about 4:45 p.m. CDT.
A standoff ensued, ending when he was taken into police custody.
“Our office joins all of our Western District community and the Department of Justice in mourning and honoring the deputy marshal — a man who was a father, a husband, a son and a child of God — as someone who paid the ultimate price in service of our community’s safety,” U.S. Attorney Zachary Keller for the Western District of Louisiana said Tuesday in a statement announcing the criminal complaint.
If convicted, Frazier faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Hanson was 36 years old, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, which said he joined the force in 2020, after having worked with Customs and Border Protection in Nogales, Ariz., and then Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New Orleans. He also worked for police departments in Mississippi.
“The nation lost a hero Monday,” U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta said in a statement.
“Drew was selflessly devoted to making his community and his nation safer. His sacrifice will not be forgotten.”