Sheriff's department provides timeline of events surrounding fatal shooting of deputy



SEATTLE -- The Pierce County Sheriff's Department on Wednesdsay issued the following timeline of the events surrounding the fatal shooting of deputy Daniel McCartney last Sunday night while he was responding to a report of a home-invasion robbery in Frederickson.

-- From interviews of witnesses and victims, detectives have determined that at the time of the home invasion robbery, there were three males in their 20s, one female in her 20s, and two small children living in the mobile home in Frederickson, where the robbery and shooting outside took place. All but one of the males was inside the mobile home at the time of the robbery; the other male was inside one of the vehicles that arrived at the residence at the same time as McCartney. The mobile home is owned by the grandmother of one of the residents.

-- The three adult victims inside the mobile home reported that they had heard a knock at the back door of the residence, and then the door knob being jiggled and a kitchen window being shattered. One of the victims said that he saw the first suspect climb through the broken window and enter the mobile home; the suspect was armed with a handgun and was wearing a mask. The first suspect unlocked and opened the door, and the second suspect entered the mobile home; he was also wearing a mask, and was armed with a handgun in one hand and a large Bowie-style knife in the other hand.

"One of the victims reportedly armed himself with a baseball bat and struck the first suspect in the head with the bat as another victim was calling 911 to report the intruders." The first suspect and the victim then struggled, as the second suspect searched the house for cash and drugs.

-- At 11:24 p.m. on Sunday January 7th, a 911 call was placed from the mobile home at 20012 45th Ave. Ct. E. in Frederickson. The caller reported an intruder in their mobile home, and the dispatcher could hear the sounds of screaming and a struggle inside the home.

-- At 11:29 p.m., Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel McCartney arrived at the location. McCartney had pulled up to the residence behind two occupied vehicles that had just arrived at the house; McCartney briefly contacted the occupants of the vehicles, who identified themselves as one of the residents of the mobile home and as friends of the resident.

"The victims and the suspects saw the fourth roommate’s vehicle pull into the driveway, followed by Deputy McCartney’s patrol car; the suspects reportedly began to panic. Two of the victims jumped out of the windows of the mobile home, as the two suspects ran from the home. The victims reported hearing Deputy McCartney order the suspects to get on the ground."

-- At 11:33 p.m. McCartney notified dispatch that he was in pursuit of two suspects who had exited the mobile home and were running through the yard and out to 200th Street. Twenty seconds later, McCartney radioed of shots fired. When dispatched radioed back to ,McCartney, there was no response and his mic was opened for any communication.

-- At 11:37 p.m. backup deputies arrived on the scene and began to search for McCartney; he was located two minutes later along a path on the north side of 200th Street. McCartney had been shot once in the neck; the bullet had struck his carotid artery and severed his spine. Deputies, paramedics, doctors and nurses all attempted life-saving measures, but per the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office, his life was taken instantaneously.

-- Deputies also located the body of a male suspect near McCartney.  He was later identified as Henry Carden. The suspect was deceased from a gunshot wound.  (At the news conference, the sheriff's department said he shot himself in the head.) He was in possession of a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and on the ground next to his body deputies located a canister of bear spray and a bag containing 2-way radios. Carden was found to be wearing a ballistic vest which had been struck by multiple .40 caliber rounds in the torso area; these rounds are consistent with what would have been fired from McCartney’s weapon.

-- A further search of the area surrounding the path lead to the recovery of a safe and a backpack stolen from inside the house, as well as an additional .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

-- Following the shooting, a massive police response locked down the area north of 200th St. E. between 38th Ave. E. and Canyon Rd. E. in an attempt to locate the second suspect, who was last seen running northbound from the residence.

-- At 8:11 a.m. Monday, the following morning, a Washington State Patrol Trooper working traffic control along the containment area observed a suspicious male in the 20300 block of 42nd Ave. E. The trooper notified radio and a sheriff’s sergeant responded to the location and contacted the man, "who was soaking wet, shivering, dirty, and appeared to be suffering from the onset of hypothermia." The man -- later identified as Frank Pawul, 32 -- was found in possession of a bear spray holster and a pocket knife, but was otherwise unarmed. The man’s pants appeared ripped and he had large cuts on his hands. The man stated he was walking in the area to visit his girlfriend, and provided a false name; he was determined to have three active warrants and was transported to the Pierce County Jail.

-- From evidence recovered at the scene, on the suspects, and in the neighborhoods surrounding the scene throughout the day, detectives were able to directly tie Pawul to the homicide. This includes text messages to and from Pawul and his girlfriend regarding the robbery and shooting, video of the suspect hiding in a nearby industrial area and a video of the suspect hiding in a garbage can outside a house for several hours. Pawul and his girlfriend were both arrested for their involvement in the crime.

-- The residents told detectives the mobile home where the robbery occurred is a “straight up trap house”, which is used to describe residences that are heavily frequented by heroin users and dealers. All four adult occupants reportedly were involved in the use or sale of heroin. It is believed that the residence was targeted by the suspects with the intent of stealing cash, heroin, and safes from inside the house.

-- Not including this incident, deputies have responded to 18 prior calls for service at this residence since January 1, 2016, including on October 25, 2017, for a missing 3-year-old who reportedly had walked away from the house in just a diaper and was found 10 minutes later in the bathroom of the house and on December 27, 2017, for a civil argument between roommates where a window was broken out and homeless people were reportedly occupying the home.