One year after Sergeant Grant Candies was killed in the line of duty, the loss is still being felt across St. Tammany Parish. On the anniversary of his death, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office shared a public remembrance honoring the Marine Corps veteran and longtime field-training sergeant, who died while trying to stop a fleeing vehicle. The message emphasized that his influence still runs deep inside the agency and across the community, reopening memories of a sudden loss that drew condolences and formal tributes from around Louisiana.
How He Died
According to the sheriff’s office, Sgt. Candies was struck and killed on March 23, 2025, while deploying a spike strip on Interstate 10 near the Oak Harbor exit during an effort to stop a high-speed pursuit. The chase started on Brownswitch Road and ended in New Orleans East, where the fleeing vehicle crashed into a New Orleans Police Department unit. An NOPD officer was treated and released, according to FOX 8. The incident cut short the life of a 37-year-old husband and father who had served with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office since 2016.
Investigation and Charges
Investigators quickly arrested three of the five people inside the fleeing vehicle and booked them on a slate of serious charges. The driver, 17-year-old Adrian Waughtal, was initially booked on aggravated flight, first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Two passengers, 17-year-olds Mason Paul Eugene Fischer and Michael Emanuel Lanier, were later booked on first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, according to reporting by WBRZ. Local accounts state that detectives later pursued additional kidnapping warrants after learning that some occupants allegedly refused to let two female passengers get out of the vehicle during the chase.
Funeral and Official Honors
On April 1, 2025, hundreds of officers, friends and residents filled the Harbor Center in Slidell for a memorial service, where speakers remembered Candies as a steady leader and mentor, as reported by WDSU. The governor’s office ordered flags on state buildings flown at half-staff that day, in a formal proclamation recognizing his service and sacrifice. The executive order from the Louisiana Governor's Office details Candies’ military background, his awards and the family he left behind.
Memorial Highway
State lawmakers also moved to create a lasting tribute. Legislation passed in 2025 designates a portion of Interstate 10 in St. Tammany Parish as the “Sgt. Grant Candies Memorial Highway.” The bill’s fiscal note on the state legislature’s website explains the Department of Transportation and Development’s signage requirements and the estimated costs for fabricating and installing the markers. See the official fiscal analysis for more on how the designation and signage are being handled at Legis.la.gov.
Remembering Sgt. Candies
On March 23, 2026, the sheriff’s office marked the anniversary by reposting its End-of-Watch remembrance on Facebook, writing that his “legacy lives in this agency” and pledging to carry his work forward, echoing the message in the embedded post above. Candies’ record of service, including his awards and his role as a field training officer, has been highlighted in local coverage and in the governor’s proclamation as part of his public-service legacy. WDSU and the state executive order offer additional background on his career and honors.
Legal Status and What’s Next
As the community reflects on the anniversary, the criminal cases tied to Candies’ death remain open and in the hands of local prosecutors. The arrests and initial charges were reported in the days after the crash, and local outlets have noted that at least one passenger was later released on bond while additional warrants were issued. WBRZ and other local reporting continue to track developments in the investigations and filings in the 22nd Judicial District. Families on all sides of the case, along with the sheriff’s office, continue to ask for privacy as the legal process plays out.
