Deputy remembered as ‘Godly man, loving husband, devoted father and a loyal friend’

The family of a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed late Sunday in the line of duty issued a statement Thursday afternoon thanking the community for their support.

Kory Honea, the sheriff of Butte County, California, is the uncle of Deputy Daniel McCartney’s wife, Cierra. He read a statement on behalf of the family a little after 4 p.m. at the Yelm Police Department.

The full text of Honea’s statement is below:

“Losing Daniel ripped a gaping hole in our lives. We will never be the same.

“There are no words that can adequately describe what an amazing person he was. In addition to protecting his community, Daniel was a Godly man, a loving husband, a devoted father and a loyal friend to so many. The grief that we are experiencing is almost unbearable.

“However, the support that we’ve received from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and so many members of the law enforcement community within this region, as well as many, many members of this community, has been overwhelming. We are humbled by the outpouring of love and support for Cierra and her boys — and for Dan’s boys — and we’d like to thank all of you and ask that you please continue to hold Cierra and the boys in your prayers, as well as the men and women of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.”

This story was originally published January 11, 2018 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Deputy remembered as ‘Godly man, loving husband, devoted father and a loyal friend’."