STPSO Sergeant Grant Candies Killed in the Line of Duty

A Message from St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith

St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith and the men and women of the STPSO are heartbroken to share that we are suffering an unimaginable loss. Early this morning, Sergeant Grant Candies was killed in the line of duty while attempting to deploy spike strips on Interstate 10 near the Oak Harbor exit. The perpetrator, fleeing from a pursuit, struck him, taking the life of a husband, a father, a Marine, a mentor, and a true leader among his peers.

Sergeant Candies was the kind of deputy every agency hopes to have. He spent five years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, three years on inactive duty, and carried that same dedication and discipline into his career in law enforcement when he joined the STPSO in 2016. “𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩" is a principle he carried into his role as a Field Training Officer in the Criminal Patrol Division. To him, training new deputies wasn’t just about teaching tactics, but it was about shaping them into the kind of deputies who serve with integrity, courage, and compassion.

His path to law enforcement was one of fate and devotion to his family, to his community, and to a calling greater than himself. Originally from Luling, Sergeant Candies grew up watching his father serve with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office for over 30 years. Though he once dreamed of becoming a Marine Corps pilot, meeting his wife, Courtney, at Southeastern Louisiana State University changed his trajectory. Love anchored him here, in St. Tammany Parish, where he chose to serve and protect the place his family calls home.

More than anything…Grant was a family man. He and Courtney built a beautiful life together, raising their two children, Brenna and Bryson, with the same values he carried every day, strength, kindness, and unwavering commitment. Whether he was teaching his kids how to hunt and fish, working on their small farm, or simply enjoying time together, he was the kind of dad every kid deserves…the fun kind, the protective kind, the kind who made sure his family knew they were loved beyond measure.

Grant never did this job for recognition, but his leadership spoke volumes. He was named Deputy of the Year for 2023, and true to his humble nature, his response was simple: “When my team succeeds, I have succeeded.” He didn’t care about titles or awards. He cared about people, about doing the right thing, and about making a difference.

So, while we grieve, we also honor. We remember a man who lived with purpose, who led with strength, and who left behind a legacy that won’t be forgotten. His laughter, his wisdom, his drive…they will carry on in the deputies he mentored, in the family he adored, and in the community he gave his life to protect.

Rest easy, Sergeant Candies. Your watch may have ended, but your impact will never fade.

End of Watch: March 23, 2025 💙🖤💙

Two More Arrests in STPSO Sergeant’s Death

Two of the passengers in the vehicle that struck and killed St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Grant Candies early Sunday (March 23, 2025) morning have been arrested for First Degree Murder for the role they played in his death. 

The two arrests announced today (March 24, 2025) are of 17 year-old Mason Paul Eugene Fischer and 17 year-old Michael Emanuel Lanier, both of Slidell. Fischer is being booked for First Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Murder, Possession with intent to distribute Schedule 1 and Obstruction of Justice. Lanier is being booked for First Degree Murder and Attempted First Degree Murder.

Shortly after midnight Sunday morning, Sgt. Candies was assisting with a pursuit by deploying a spike strip on Interstate 10 near the Oak Harbor Exit when he was struck by the perpetrator’s vehicle and killed. The pursuit began on Brownswitch Road, when a STPSO deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle and the driver fled at high rate of speed, refusing to stop. The pursuit ended when the perpetrator’s vehicle crashed into an NOPD unit on the Southshore.

The vehicle was occupied by five individuals. The driver, 17 year-old Adrian Waughtal of Slidell, who was arrested and booked Sunday morning in Orleans Parish as a fugitive and was transported to St. Tammany Parish, where he was booked for Aggravated Flight, First Degree Murder and Attempted First Degree Murder.  

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***

“I ask our community to please pray for Sgt. Candies’ family as well as his blue family – his coworkers and other members of law enforcement,” Sheriff Smith said. “Sgt. Candies death reiterates the dangers our deputies face every day when they put on their badge. While we grieve, we also honor and we remember a man who lived with purpose, who led with strength and who left behind a legacy that won’t be forgotten. His laughter, his wisdom and his drive will carry on in the deputies he mentored, in the family he adored and in the community he gave his life to protect. Thank you Sgt. Candies. We got it from here.”

Kidnapping Charge Added for Driver, Passenger Following Pursuit that Resulted in STPSO Sergeant’s Death

The driver and one of the passengers are now facing a kidnapping charge in connection with the pursuit that resulted in the death of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Sergeant Grant Candies.

Click here for the previous story

Sergeant Candies was assisting with a pursuit early Sunday (March 23, 2025) morning when he was struck and killed by a vehicle being driven by 17-year-old Adrian Waughtal of Slidell. Waughtal was arrested for Aggravated Flight, First Degree Murder and Attempted First Degree Murder. He remains in custody and is being held without bond.

The vehicle was also occupied during the pursuit by four additional passengers.

Two of those passengers, 17-year-old Mason Paul Eugene Fischer, who was seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle; and 17-year-old Michael Emanuel Lanier, who was seated in the rear seat of the vehicle with two females; were arrested and booked for First Degree Murder and Attempted First Degree Murder, after the investigation revealed they played a significant role in the pursuit and subsequently, Candies’ death. Fischer was released on bond Wednesday (March 26, 2025).

On Wednesday (March 26, 2025) night, warrants were issued for the arrest of Fischer (pictured right above) and Waughtal (pictured left above) for Second-degree Kidnapping after detectives learned through the investigation that once the pursuit began, Fischer and Waughtal refused to stop and allow the two females to exit the vehicle, despite repeated pleas from the females to do so. Waughtal was rebooked for Second-degree Kidnapping. Fischer was located late Wednesday (March 26, 2025) night at a residence in Slidell, and was brought back the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center, where he was booked on the warrant for Second-degree Kidnapping.

Three Slidell Teens Indicted in Death of St. Tammany Parish Police Officer

District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on June 3, 2025, a St. Tammany Parish grand jury indicted three Slidell teens in connection with the March 23, 2025, death of Sergeant Grant Candies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sergeant Candies was struck and killed while deploying a spike strip in an attempt to stop a vehicle during a high-speed pursuit. Indicted were 17-year-old Adrian Waughtal, 17-year-old Mason Fischer and 18-year-old Michael Lanier. Assistant District Attorneys Ronnie Gracianette and Gary Tromblay presented the case to the grand jury. Detectives Sean Scott and Jacob Schwebel with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office led the investigation.

• Waughtal (pictured left) was indicted for Second degree murder, Aggravated assault with a motor vehicle upon a peace officer, Aggravated flight from an officer, Aggravated obstruction of a highway, Obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence and Conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

• Fischer (pictured middle) was indicted for Second degree murder, Aggravated flight from an officer, Aggravated obstruction of a highway, Obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence and Conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

• Lanier (pictured right) was indicted for Manslaughter, Obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence and Conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Click here for previous reporting

Louisiana law provides for the potential imposition of the death penalty with regard to the murder of a police officer. However, in 2005, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled the Eighth Amendment forbids the imposition of the death penalty for any offender who was under the age of 18 at the time of the homicide. (See Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551.) In this particular case, all three defendants were 17 years old at the time of the alleged offense. Consequently, the State is precluded from pursuing the death penalty in this matter.

The defendants are tentatively scheduled for arraignment on July 14, 2025.