Candies struck by escaping vehicle
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – The daily dangers of serving the community as a police officer were unfortunately proven again to be completely true when a St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office deputy was killed early Sunday morning on what began as a routine traffic stop with a car full of teenagers.
Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Grant Candies, 37, was killed when 17-year-old Adrian Waughtal tried to escape in his car from law enforcement and later hit Candies on the Interstate 10 scene where Candies was setting up a spike strip to stop the runaway vehicle.
Due to the charges, Waughtal will be charged as an adult. He was 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.
On Monday, two of the 17-year-old passengers in the car were also charged with the murder as Mason Paul Eugene Fischer and Michael Emanuel Lanier were charged with First Degree Murder and Attempted First Degree Murder after Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Lt. Suzanne Carboni said, “the investigation revealed their actions contributed to Sgt. Candies death.” Fischer was also charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I narcotics, and Obstruction of Justice.
Candies was a former U.S. Marine Corp veteran who joined the Sheriff’s Office in March 2016. He is survived by his wife Courtney, and two young children, Brenna and Bryson.
Sheriff Randy Smith said his officers and the entire family of law enforcement are heartbroken.
“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,” 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,” Smith added.
The pursuit began on Brownswitch Road when a STPSO deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Waughtal’s vehicle and the driver fled at a high rate of speed, refusing to stop.
Candies joined others in the effort to stop the perpetrator’s vehicle and was deploying the spike strip in the westbound lane of I-10, just past the Oak Harbor exit. However, Waughtal reportedly tried to avoid the strip, swerving off the road to where Candies was standing, striking the officer on the side of the road. Waughtal escaped across the Twin Spans to the South Shore, where he eventually crashed into a New Orleans Police Department vehicle.
Waughtal, a student at Northshore High School, was driving a vehicle with four other 17-year-old boys in it. The Sheriff’s Office reported that someone in the car had apparently thrown a bag of marijuana out of the car on Brownswitch Road when the S.O. deputy tried to stop them, however, the investigation continues with more interviews, and Carboni said there still may be other charges.
In 2023, prior to his promotion to sergeant, Deputy Candies was responsible for saving the lives of two individuals and was named the 2023 STPSO Deputy of the Year. He was also a Field Training Officer helping to train new deputies on his patrol shift.
“Sgt Candies was an asset to the department,” Sheriff Smith said. “He was the kind of deputy every agency hopes to have and someone his teammates routinely reached out to for advice and direction due to his vast knowledge of this job. His path to law enforcement was one of fate and devotion to his family, to his community and to a calling greater than himself. He will be missed by all who knew him and all who worked alongside him.”
Candies spent five years on active duty with the Marine Corp before signing on to become a police officer in St. Tammany Parish.
He was known for a principle referred to as “??????? ???? ??? F????,” which led to becoming a Field Training Officer in the Criminal Patrol Division. To him, a Sheriff’s Office press release stated, training new deputies wasn’t just about teaching tactics, but it was about shaping deputies into those who serve with integrity, courage, and compassion.
Originally from Luling, 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 and was the reason they settled in St. Tammany Parish.
“Sgt. Candies was an officer who served with strength, kindness and unwavering commitment,” said Smith. “He never did this job for recognition, but his leadership spoke volumes.”
Candies was selected by the Slidell Elks Lodge as their annual first responder honors as the 2023 Deputy of the Year. When he accepted the honor, he remarked, “When my team succeeds, I have succeeded.”