JACKSON, Tenn. — “It was just shocking. It was just really shocking,” a witness said.
It happened fast.
“And he come of the hip. Boom boom boom,” a neighbor said.
Neighbors heard the gun shots.
“Call 911. Somebody has been shot,” a witness said.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent De’Greaun Frazier was killed in the line of duty on Tuesday.
“As far as the officer who got shot and got killed, I hate it for his family. My condolences go out to his family,” a man said.
Investigators said Frazier was working undercover to buy drugs from reported drug dealer Brenden Burns, who is accused of trying to rob the agent and eventually killing him.
Witnesses had no idea the TBI was involved in stings.
“I never, never would have thought that they — that’s how they catch criminals. I never would have thought that.”
According to Tennessee law, the TBI said it has original jurisdiction across the state and can investigate alleged drug activity without a request from local district attorneys.
The TBI does not have it’s own drug task force.
It partners with local agencies and other drug task forces across the state.
However, the TBI also works some cases on its own.
Agents undergo an extensive 19-week training program to prepare them for the nearly 500 criminal investigations they cover each year.
A TBI spokesperson said the type of undercover investigation that happened on Tuesday was fairly typical.
