HollyMatkinPierce County, WA – A man has been arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the slaying of Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel McCartney, police said.
Investigators had been searching for a man who fled the scene of the homicide on Jan. 8.
Frank Pawul, 32, was apprehended on unrelated charges on Monday morning, The News Tribune reported.
According to Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Ed Troyer, Pawul was arrested on unrelated warrants after he was apprehended by a Washington State Patrol trooper at 8:10 a.m. on Monday at a roadblock near the scene, The News Tribune reported.
“He didn’t match our original description, and he gave us a fake name,” Troyer said. “After he was booked into the jail we stated to get information on what our second suspect actually looked like, by witnesses, which described our suspect.”
Deputy McCartney, 34, was responding to a call for a home invasion at a home off of 200th St. E near 46th Ave at 11:25 p.m. During the 911 call, the dispatchers could hear screaming and a scuffle taking place.
He arrived at the home six minutes after the 911 call, and immediately started chasing two fleeing suspects.
A few minutes later, there was gunfire, and Deputy McCartney was fatally shot.
Investigators said they believe the fallen officer was able to return fire at the men.
Deputy McCartney, was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in critical condition, and died during surgery just after 2 a.m., the Puyallup Patch reported.
Henry Carden, 35, was found dead near the home where the burglary took place. A handgun was found near his body, The News Tribune reported.
When he was apprehended for Deputy McCartney’s murder, Pawul was also charged with obstruction of police and was served with a warrant for theft, KCPQ reported.
According to the Puyallup Patch, Pawul’s criminal history extended back to 2007, when he stole keys to a gas station and helped himself to beer, cigarettes, beef jerky, and chewing tobacco.
In 2013, deputies intercepted Pawul and three accomplices during the commission of a home burglary. Months later, he was arrested for selling Percocet in a gas station parking lot.
Pawul used a stolen credit card in 2014, and was found to have drugs, stolen property, and car burglary tools in his vehicle when he was apprehended. He pleaded guilty to identity theft, possession of stolen property, possession of drugs, and passion of car theft tools.
He was sentenced to 14 months in prison, and was released from community supervision in June of 2016, The News Tribune reported.
Carden, who was found dead at the scene, was convicted of burglary and second-degree assault in 2006, after he nearly severed a man’s arm with a sword. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
Deputy McCartney was married, and had three young boys. He served in the U.S. Navy for six years, and earned the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, among other honors, according to KIRO.
The deputy had been with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department for three years, according to a Facebook post on the sheriff’s department’s page. He was a Hoquiam police officer for six years before he joined Pierce County.
“Dan was a good guy and a good police officer,” Hoquiam Police Sergeant Jeff Salstrom told KXRO. “More importantly he was an extremely devoted dad.”
According to The News Tribune, and honor guard and fellow deputies are standing watch over Deputy McCartney’s body, and will remain there until his burial.
Pawul’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, The Puyallup Patch reported.
Takoma/Pierce County Crimestoppers has established a Legacy Fund to help Deputy Parrish’s wife and three young sons with expenses.