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Slain U.S. marshal called 'one of nation's finest'

Patrick Carothers was killed in the line of duty one week before Thanksgiving.

Patrick Thomas Carothers

NORCROSS, Ga. -- Patrick Carothers, the slain U.S. marshal who was killed in the line of duty one week before Thanksgiving, was memorialized on Saturday as a beloved member of the nation’s law enforcement community.

“Deputy Commander Patrick Carothers was the kind of person we all hope our children would become,” said U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “He was a quiet man of action who committed himself to help those who could not help themselves. He represented the very best our nation has to offer.”

Officials said that a fugitive wanted for trying to kill police officers shot and killed Carothers during an arrest attempt near Ludowici, Ga.

“I don’t pretend our pain can be erased with a few words,” Lynch said. “But Patrick Carothers did not die in vain. He served the cause of justice for 26 years, and he was a proud member of our nation’s oldest law enforcement agency.”

Carothers, 53, and his family lived in Flowery Branch.

Carothers’ funeral procession began at Flanigan’s Funeral Home in Buford at 11 am and ended at Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, where the service was held.

Online condolences from all over the country have poured in since Carothers’s death. The Navy Athletics Facebook account posted a picture over the weekend – a “PC” sticker on their helmets during their last game. One of his sons is a freshman on the team.

Carothers will be buried on Tuesday in Virginia where he graduated from high school.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the U. S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund, P. O. Box 11730, Bozeman, MT 59719 or online at www.USMarshalsFund.org in memory of Patrick Carothers. Those donations directly help the families of fallen heroes like Carothers.

Mourners can sign a guestbook for Carothers here.

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