Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kentucky
End of Watch: Thursday, April 16, 1998
Age: 27
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Badge Number: 36
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 16, 1998
Weapon Used: Handgun; .44 caliber
Suspect Info: Guilty of manslaughter
Investigator Brandon Thacker was shot and killed as he was driving to an undercover assignment with three other agents on the Western Kentucky Parkway near Eddyville.
All of the agents were in a caravan of separate vehicles, with Investigator Thacker in the last vehicle. He radioed to the other agents that a vehicle was driving erratically, then moments later radioed that he had been shot. The agent in front of him looked in her rearview mirror and saw his vehicle swerve and then turned around to help him.
The other two agents chased the vehicle, which was driving erratically, and arrested the driver. The suspect was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter.
Investigator Thacker was a United States Army Persian Gulf veteran and had served with the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for four years. He is survived by his wife, 18-month-old daughter, parents, and two brothers.
He is buried in the Richmond Cemetary in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky.