Duty Death: Brent Hanger - [Mt. Vernon]
End of Service: 06/08/2015
Aaron Kunkler
Yakima Herald-Republic
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — An autopsy Friday showed that a Washington State Patrol trooper who died Thursday near Chinook Pass suffered a heart attack, according to the Yakima County Coroner’s Office.
Brent Hanger, a 47-year-old WSP detective from Mount Vernon, was part of a statewide drug task force investigating a report of an illegal marijuana grow when he was stricken.
Hanger’s body was taken by helicopter to an airstrip near State Route 410, then brought to Yakima in a procession of troopers and deputies.
Authorities have not released the exact location of his death, citing an ongoing drug investigation in the area.
Hanger was hired in 1998 and had spent his career working in District 7, which spans a region that includes Whatcom County.
He is survived by his wife and six children.
Donations to the Washington State Patrol Memorial Foundation, which provides assistance to the families of fallen Washington State Patrol troopers and current and retired troopers, may be sent to the foundation at P.O. Box 7544, Olympia, WA, 98507.
Donations should be labeled “Detective Hanger.” All donations will be sent to Hanger’s family.
Copyright 2015 Yakima Herald-Republic