In the fall of 2016, a dedicated and long-serving member of the law enforcement community, 53-year-old Patrick Carothers, a male, gave his life in the line of duty. A 26-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service, Carothers was fatally shot on November 18, 2016, while attempting to serve a warrant in Ludowici, a small town in southeastern Georgia. He served as the deputy commander of the agency's Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force.
The events of that tragic day unfolded at a mobile home where a fugitive, Dontrell Montese Carter, 25, was hiding. Carter was wanted on a host of violent charges stemming from a September incident in Sumter County, South Carolina, including attempted murder of police officers, domestic violence, and unlawful discharge of a weapon. As the task force, led by Carothers, made entry into the residence, Carter opened fire, striking Carothers twice. Despite being mortally wounded, Carothers returned fire. The other members of the team engaged Carter, who was shot multiple times and later died from his injuries at a hospital. Carothers was rushed to a nearby medical center but succumbed to his wounds.
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting, the investigation led to the arrest of three individuals who were present at the mobile home and had been assisting Carter in evading capture. Ashley Chavon Roberts, 24, Levy Lewis Jenkins, 34, and Jeremy Lance Lewis, 32, were each charged with hindering the apprehension or punishment of a criminal and felony murder in connection with Carothers' death. The charges alleged that their actions in harboring Carter directly contributed to the violent confrontation that resulted in the deputy marshal's death.
