Former Kingston resident one of 2 slain Florida deputies

Former Kingston resident one of 2 slain Florida deputies

By WHITNEY HOLMES
6 News Anchor/Reporter

KINGSTON (WATE) -- A local family is grieving the death of a sheriff's deputy that was killed line-of-duty Saturday in Florida.

Warren York, 44, formerly of Kingston, and another deputy from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office were killed as they were trying to track down and arrest a suspect after a domestic violence incident.

Deputy York and his partner, Deputy Burt Lopez, tracked down Joshua Cartwright, 28, at a gun club.

Florida authorities say the officers hit the suspect with a Taser, and that's when he opened fire, shooting both deputies.

Cartwright fled the scene, but was later shot and killed by Walton County deputies after he shot at them.

York and Lopez were airlifted to the hospital where they died.

"I knew when [an officer] said he had been shot, I knew it was bad. I knew," said York's brother, Darren.

Darren York told 6 News he was trying to come to grips with the fact that his older brother is gone.

Deputy York was wearing a bulletproof vest, but that couldn't save him.

"The way that it happened, it didn't help. The gentlemen that shot him, shot him in the head," said the brother.

Warren leaves behind a wife of 12 years and a nine-year-old son, Michael.

Darren York says they are still in shock.

"I talked to Michael briefly on the phone just to see if he was okay. He was confused and really sad and worried. I am not sure what to say," said Darren.

Warren York grew up in Kingston and attended Roane County High School, across the street from his house. After graduating in 1982, he studied criminal justice at Roane State before entering the Air Force.

He was in the Air Force for 22 years, fighting in both the Gulf War and Iraq War.

However, all along he wanted to be a police officer.

"Like many police officers, there was a lot more helping than anything else and Warren was the type that wanted to help people," explained Darren. "That meant a lot to him."

Warren did what he loved for just over a year before losing his life.

Darren York says the funeral may take a week to plan because Florida officials and the Air Force will be involved.

This is the second law enforcement officer this month to be killed in the line of duty with ties to our area.

On April 4, Stephen Mayhle, 29, was one of three officers killed while responding to a domestic dispute in Pittsburgh.

Officer Mayhle lived in Knoxville from 2003 to 2006 before accepting the job in Pittsburgh.