Grant J. Candies

Sergeant Grant Candies was killed by the driver fleeing a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Slidell near the Oak Harbor exit.

The driver was driving recklessly without a tag on the car when a deputy attempted to stop the vehicle on Brownswitch Road. When the driver refused to stop and continued to drive at speeds of 85-90 mph while swerving on the roads, a pursuit ensued. Just after midnight, Sergeant Candies was deploying a spike strip to assist with stopping the vehicle pursuit when he was struck and killed by the suspects.

The suspects, all juveniles, continued to evade St. Tammany Parish deputies on Interstate 10 into Orleans Parish, where their vehicle crashed into a New Orleans Police Department unit near Crowder Boulevard at approximately 12:30 a.m. All suspects were apprehended, and the driver was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated flight. Two other juveniles have been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter.

The New Orleans Police Department officer in the unit struck by the suspects was injured but was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released from the hospital.

Sergeant Candies was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office for nine years. In 2023, he saved two lives and was named St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy of the Year.

He is survived by his wife, two children, mother, father, three sisters, and a brother.