SLIDELL, La. (WVUE) – Three 17-year-olds have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Grant Candies. He was fatally struck while deploying spike strips during a high-speed chase early Sunday (March 23).
Authorities arrested Mason Paul Eugene Fischer and Michael Emanual Lanier, both of Slidell, on Monday (March 24). They have been booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center.
Fischer faces charges of:
First-degree murder
Attempted first-degree murder
Possession with intent to distribute Schedule I narcotics
Obstruction of justice
Lanier is charged with:
First-degree murder
Attempted first-degree murder
The driver, Adrian Waughtal, was previously identified and remains in custody on charges of:
First-degree murder
Attempted first-degree murder
Aggravated flight from an officer
Sergeant Candies: A Dedicated Officer Lost in the Line of Duty
Sgt. Grant Candies, 37, was a nine-year veteran of the sheriff’s office and a former U.S. Marine. Named Deputy of the Year in 2023, he was also the son of a longtime St. Charles Parish deputy. He leaves behind a wife and two young children.
Sheriff Randy Smith stated that the suspects were driving recklessly without a license plate when deputies attempted a traffic stop on Brownswitch Road. Instead of stopping, they fled, leading to a high-speed pursuit on I-10 near the Oak Harbor exit in Slidell.
During the chase, Candies was deploying spike strips when Waughtal’s vehicle struck him. Authorities believe there was intent to hit the officer.
Ongoing Investigation & Legal Implications
Fox 8 Legal Analyst Joe Raspanti explained that while charging passengers in a vehicular homicide case is challenging, prosecutors will focus on proving their intent and involvement.
Sheriff Smith emphasized the risks law enforcement officers face daily:
“Sgt. Candies was an asset to this department. His death is a reminder of the dangers our deputies encounter every day.”
The investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests may follow.
