August 6, 2021
The Washington State Patrol’s twenty-ninth fallen officer, WSP Detective Brent L. Hanger, died from a heart attackwhile investigating an illegal drug operation in Yakima. Born in Sedro Wooley, Detective Hanger grew up in the Skagit Valley before joining the Patrol. He earned the Award of Merit in 2000 risking his life assisting an individual in crisis. He left behind a wife and six children as well as a large extended family and many friends when he died at age 47.
We remember…
BIO
Brent Hanger was born on January 28, 1968, to Ralph and Barbara Hanger in Sedro Woolley, Washington. He grew up in the Skagit Valley, graduating from Burlington-Edison High School before continuing his education by obtaining an Occupational Associates Degree in auto and heavy diesel repair from Universal Technical Institute in 1988.
His career path changed over time, bringing him to the Washington State Patrol on July 9, 1998 where he joined the 82nd Trooper Basic Training Class. He was commissioned on March 1, 1999 and assigned to Burlington.
Not long after being commissioned, he earned the Award of Merit for risking his own life assisting an individual in crisis on November 28, 2000. Hanger transferred to Marysville in May 2004 and later became a Field Training Officer known to have high expectations, but also for providing the proper support, encouragement and wisdom to his trainees. That same year, Trooper Hanger joined the Serious Highway Crime Apprehension Team (SHCAT), and worked as a SHCAT partner for four years with other team members and their narcotics K9s.
On August 1, 2007, he became a detective with the Northwest Regional Drug Task Force and was assigned to Bellingham. He spent eight years working alongside his task force team members displaying integrity, loyalty, dedication and perseverance at every step.
END OF WATCH
Hanger’s life tragically ended on August 6, 2015. He and the drug task force team were following up on a tip regarding a potential marijuana grow in Yakima County when Hanger suffered a fatal heart attack. At the time of his death, he had served 17 years with the Washington State Patrol.
Detective Brent Hanger is survived by his wife, Lisa; children Emily, Erin, Kailey, Erik, Kyle and Kevin; sisters Julia Benson and Marcia Carter; brother Mark Hanger; half-sister Jessica Hanger, step-mother Linda Hanger and nephews David Kocsis, Chris Benson and Marcus Hanger. His mother, Barbara, passed away in 2020. The fallen detective’s eldest daughter, Emily, followed in her father’s footsteps and was commissioned as a Washington State Patrol Trooper on March 13, 2020.
Hailed as a family man, trusted public servant, community leader and good friend, Brent Hanger lived a life of extraordinary service, accomplishment and dedication. He is remembered by a family led by his kindness, by an agency bettered by his loyalty, by friends enriched by his companionship, by a community comforted by his integrity, and by a state honored by his strength, sacrifice and service.
We remember…