Suspect in fatal shooting of Pierce County sheriff’s deputy held without bail

A suspect in Sunday’s fatal shooting of a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy was ordered held without bail Tuesday, pending his arraignment.

Investigators believe 32-year-old Frank William Pawul was one of two burglars Deputy Daniel McCartney was chasing in the Frederickson area when he was shot and killed.

Court Commissioner Meagan Foley ordered that Pawul remain in custody until his arraignment Thursday after she found probable cause to hold him for investigation of first-degree murder, while prosecutors make a charging decision.

Foley agreed to prohibit members of the media in court from showing Pawul’s face, after defense attorney Mary Kay High said her client’s identity was an issue in the case.

She argued that statements made to the press by sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer about the suspect’s description did not match what witnesses had said.

Deputy Prosecutor Jared Ausserer told the court he didn’t think identity was an issue, based on text messages between the accused and his girlfriend.

He asked Foley to hold Pawul until Thursday “to allow us to complete our investigation,” and Foley agreed.

Investigators have said McCartney responded to a reported home invasion and that he chased the two suspects. They exchanged gunfire, and McCartney and one of the suspects, Henry Michael Carden, 35, were killed.

Sheriff Paul Pastor chose to be at the court appearance, as a procession was underway to honor McCartney, as the 34-year-old deputy’s coffin was taken to a Lakewood funeral home.

“I’m here because I care about this, and I care about it for my people and my agency,” Pastor told reporters, outside court.

“... It’s important that we do two things in this case. The first thing is to show honor, and that’s going on right now at the procession. The second thing is to work to do justice. And that’s what was going on here.”

A woman investigators said drove Carden and Pawul to the Frederickson home has also been arrested, and investigators expect more arrests to come.

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Suspect in fatal shooting of Pierce County sheriff’s deputy held without bail."