They were TV stars , in a sense , having appeared on the National Geographic Channel 's reality show , `` Alaska State Troopers . '' But more than that , Patrick `` Scott '' Johnson and Gabriel `` Gabe '' Rich were family men and men of the law . Neither got the happy Hollywood ending they deserved , instead dying in a confrontation in a sparse , remote sliver of Alaska . The troopers ' bodies were recovered from Tanana , a village 130 miles west of Fairbanks , on Friday , a day after they were reported killed , the Alaska Department of Public Safety said . Two men have been taken into custody since the incident near the Yukon River in the state 's interior . One of them -- 19-year-old Nathanial Lee Kangas of Tanana -- is under arrest in both deaths , the state public safety department said , adding that formal murder charges are being prepared . The other is Arvin Morse Kangas , 58 , accused of fourth-degree assault and driving with a revoked license in a separate incident . Neither could be immediately reached for comment . In a post Friday on their Facebook page , the Alaska State Troopers said they are `` reeling from the loss '' of their slain colleagues , both of whom worked out of the agency 's Fairbanks rural service unit . Born in Fairbanks , Johnson worked three years for the North Slope Borough Police before becoming an Alaska State Trooper in 1993 . Here , he held several roles including trooper , field training officer , canine officer , narcotics team supervisor and rural unit sergeant . It 's in the latter job that the 45-year-old died , leaving behind a wife and three daughters , according to the Alaska State Troopers . Rich moved to Fairbanks shortly after being born in Pennsylvania , then went on to work for the North Pole Police and , starting in 2011 , with the Alaska State Troopers . The 26-year-old is survived by his fiancee and two sons . Commenters on the police Facebook page offered personal remembrances of the two men , commending them as being good at their jobs and good people , generally . `` Bless these two brave troopers , '' one woman wrote . `` RIP . '' Both gained a degree of widespread recognition thanks to their appearance on the National Geographic Channel 's `` Alaska State Troopers , '' a reality show that the network says follows `` one of the toughest law enforcement agencies in the nation . '' Rich appeared in six episodes of `` Alaska State Troopers '' in 2012 and 2013 , according to IMDb.com . Johnson was in four episodes from 2011 to 2013 , according to the site . The troopers were not with a film crew when they died and are not slated for any future episodes , said National Geographic Channel spokesman Chris Albert said . The channel has pulled repeats of episodes featuring the slain troopers , he said . `` We have a long and proud association with the troopers , and consider them a member of our extended channel family , '' Albert said in a statement . `` We send our deepest condolences to their families and the entire Alaska State Trooper force . '' Newspaper : Troopers shot after botched sale of couch . CNN affiliate KTVF reported that the officers had headed to the village to follow up on a report from the previous night of someone brandishing a gun . The Alaska Dispatch website reported that the troopers were shot after an unarmed village public safety officer called for backup after an altercation involving the botched sale of a $ 150 couch . The news site said two people had been arrested , one after a lengthy standoff with heavily armed police . Video from CNN affiliate KTUU showed heavily armed authorities -- some of them wearing camouflage -- walking along a dirt road in Tanana , as well as one man being led away in handcuffs . Gov . Sean Parnell mourned the loss of the two officers . `` These fallen heroes answered the call to serve and protect , and made the ultimate sacrifice , while keeping our communities safe , '' the governor said in a statement . `` May God and the loving support of grateful Alaskans bring comfort to the families of these courageous men . '' According the the U.S. Census Bureau , 254 people live in Tanana . The village is located near the confluence of the Tanana and Yukon rivers in Alaska 's vast rural interior . No roads lead into the village , which is accessible only by air . Images of the village published online show a town of log-cabin buildings and ramshackle structures along the banks of the Yukon River . The village boomed in the late 1800s and early 1900s with the discovery of gold in the region .
`` Bless these two brave troopers , '' a woman writes of the two officers . Sgt . Johnson , Trooper Rich die in Tanana , a small , isolated village . The trooper who was shot is still alive and has been released from hospital. The 2 slain Alaska troopers had appeared on a National Geographic show .