Slain former Hoquiam officer’s widow presented Medal of Valor at ceremony

Daniel McCartney’s name was also added to the law enforcement memorial in Olympia

May 8, 2018 7:00 pm
HOQUIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT PHOTO Officers from the Hoquiam Police Department flank Cierra McCartney, widow of fallen Pierce County Deputy, at the presentation of a medal of honor and the addition to Daniels name being added to the law enforcement memorial May 4 in Olympia. From left are Officer Luce, Officer Figg, Officer Blundred, McCartney, Sgt. Dayton, IT Specialist Bradley, Officer Spaur and Officer Verboomen.
HOQUIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT PHOTO Officers from the Hoquiam Police Department flank Cierra McCartney, widow of fallen Pierce County Deputy, at the presentation of a medal of honor and the addition to Daniels name being added to the law enforcement memorial May 4 in Olympia. From left are Officer Luce, Officer Figg, Officer Blundred, McCartney, Sgt. Dayton, IT Specialist Bradley, Officer Spaur and Officer Verboomen.

Several members of Hoquiam Police Department, along with officers from the City of Cosmopolis and elsewhere, attended the annual Washington State Law Enforcement Medal of Honor ceremony May 4 in Olympia to honor Daniel McCartney, who was killed in the line of duty in January while a Deputy Sheriff with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. McCartney was once an officer in the Hoquiam department.

“Although gone, Daniel will never be forgotten by our department members and our community in Grays Harbor. Daniel’s widow, Cierra, was presented with his Medal of Honor and Daniel’s name was added to the wall of the state Law Enforcement memorial,” said Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers. “Cierra and the boys will always be a member of our Hoquiam PD family.”

McCartney the first officer on the scene of a burglary in progress on a late January night of this year and found himself in foot pursuit of at least one suspect. The suspect fired, mortally wounding McCartney, who died a couple hours later at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. The suspect was also killed, and two others were arrested shortly thereafter.

McCartney was a U.S. Navy veteran. He had served with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department for three years and had previously served with the Hoquiam Police Department for six years. He is survived by his wife and three sons.

The memorial is located immediately north of the Temple of Justice, overlooking Capitol Lake, Heritage Park, and the Overlook Trail on the State Capital campus. The memorial is inscribed with, ‘Their duty was to serve. Our duty is to remember,” and the names of Washington state law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

The memorial currently contains the names of more than 300 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.