2 more arrested in death of St. Tammany Sgt. Grant Candies
SLIDELL, La. (WVUE) - Two more 17-year-olds have been arrested and are facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Grant Candies, who was struck and killed early Sunday (March 23) morning while attempting to deploy spike strips during a vehicle pursuit.
On Monday (March 24), the sheriff’s office announced the arrests of Mason Paul Eugene Fischer and Michael Emanual Lanier, both of Slidell.
They were booked into the parish correctional center.
Fischer is booked for:
- First Degree Murder
- Attempted First Degree Murder
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I Narcotics
- Obstruction of Justice
A bond will be set for Fischer at a later date, according to court records.
Lanier is booked for:
- First Degree Murder
- Attempted First Degree Murder
Lanier’s bond is set for $150,000.
The sheriff’s office previously identified the driver of the vehicle as Adrian Waughtal, 17, who remains in custody. He was booked for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated flight from an officer.
The court has ordered that a bond not be set for Waughtal. A court minutes sheet shows deputies also arrested him for an improper turn, a lack of proper equipment on vehicles, and possession of schedule 1 drugs.
Sgt. Candies, 37, was a nine-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and a U.S. Marine. He was named Deputy of the Year in 2023 and was the son of a longtime St. Charles Parish deputy. He leaves behind a wife and two young children.
Sheriff Randy Smith said the car was driving recklessly without a tag on the car.
Candies was assisting with a pursuit on I-10 near the Oak Harbor exit in Slidell when he was hit by a fleeing vehicle. Authorities say the vehicle was driven by Waughtal and being pursued by law enforcement.
The STPSO said the pursuit began on Brownswitch Road when a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle, which instead “fled at a high rate of speed.”
“He was going at least 85, 90 mph,” one witness recalled. “He kept swerving. I was like, ‘what is going on?’”
Smith called Sgt. Candies “an asset to the department” and “the kind of deputy every agency hopes to have.”
“I ask our community to please pray for Sgt. Candies’ family as well as his blue family – his co-workers and other members of law enforcement,” Smith said. “Sgt. Candies’ death reiterates the dangers our deputies face every day when they put on their badge.”
The agency said the investigation is in its early stages, and that additional arrests and counts are possible. At this time, there is no word about what started the chase.
Fox 8 Legal Analyst Joe Raspanti said it is possible to charge passengers for the actions of a driver, but the case will likely revolve around intent.
“It’s going to be fact-based. The proof is going to be what their intent was, what did they know, how did they contribute to it. So it’s a harder case to prove against the passengers by a lot than it is against the driver,” he said.
Smith believes there was intent to hit Candies.
Some Northshore businesses are running fundraisers for the Candies family.
Harbor Hair & Co is donating its profits from Friday, March 28, to the family.
Barley Oak Bar will be donating a percentage of its profits from each Wednesday in April.
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