UPDATE 8:40 a.m. Wednesday: Brenden Tyler Burns, 23, has been charged with first degree murder in the death of TBI Agent and former Millington Officer De’Greaun Frazier. Burns is charged with one count of murder in the perpetration of attempted aggravated robbery. He is currently being held without bond in the Madison County Jail.
Local 24 News has learned Burns has a previous criminal history dating back to 2012. He was sentenced to 3 years in May 2012 on a robbery charge. A Tennessee Department of Corrections spokesperson says Burns violated probation, which was then revoked by the courts in February 2013. He was released when his sentenced ended in March 2015. The TDOC says Burns earned 8 days pretrial behavior credits and 280 days of sentence reduction credits while behind bars, which led to the March 2015 release.
A Tennessee State statute sets the sentence reduction credits by law.
TUESDAY:
A TBI agent was killed in the line of duty and the suspected gunman was arrested Tuesday afternoon during an undercover drug deal in Jackson, Tennessee.
It happened around 2:00 p.m. Tuesday on Brianfield Cove.
The first TBI agent killed in the line of duty, 35-year-old De’Greaun Frazier, also died in the prime of his life, leaving behind a family.
Investigators say the suspect shot Frazier from the back seat of the car as that suspect attempted to rob the special agent and an undercover officer.
Frazier suffered one fatal gunshot and was transported to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital where he died.
“Agent Frazier was exactly what we look for in a TBI Agent: hard-working, enthusiastic, and dedicated to making Tennessee a better place to live,” said TBI Director Mark Gwyn. “We are deeply saddened by his death and will work aggressively to investigate this case to its fullest. His commitment to our agency and public service will not be forgotten,” said TBI Director Mark Gwyn.
The TBI reports agents arrested a suspect a short distance away from the crime scene.
“The situation went south. Our agents, those law-enforcement officers, were not only able to help him in his hour of need but also do the task at hand, and that was simply to get this guy in custody,” said TBI spokesman Josh Devine.
Frazier joined TBI in February 2016, following a career as a police officer with the Millington Police Department. In that capacity, he also served on a DEA Task Force. He also worked for the University of Memphis.
The university released this statement:
“The University of Memphis would like to express its deepest sympathy to the family of former U of M police officer and TBI agent De’Greaun Frazier. His tragic death is a terrible loss for us all and speaks to the sacrifice, risk and burden carried by law enforcement officers both in our community and across our nation.”
