Buffalo, NY (WBEN) A parole officer was involved in a serious incident with a convicted sex offender free under release Thursday. While Demone Frazier was later found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound, the parole officer was unharmed. It's one example of how tough the job can be.

"There's no question this is a challenging and dangerous job," says Peter Cutler, spokesman for the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. "The parole officers who conduct these types of supervision in the community are extremely professional dedicated, and work in difficult circumstances, and (Thursday's) episode is an example of the challenges they can encounter with people under their supervision."

Cutler says incidents like the one between the parole officer and Frazier are rare. "There are 39,000 individuals under post release supervision in the state, so these types of incidences don't happen often," notes Cutler.

Cutler says parole officers also have to deal with a number of individuals on their watch, so they're going back and forth and the danger can always lurk.