CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A line of flashing lights stretched for blocks on Monday night in honor of a fallen Logan County sheriff’s deputy.
Caden Mullins, 24, of Man, was killed in the line of duty on Saturday. His cruiser was struck by a coal truck on Route 10 near the Rum Creek Road intersection. He was on his way to answer a service call. The former Charleston police officer had been with the Logan County Sheriff’s Department for about a year.
A procession set off from the state Medical Examiner’s Office on Charleston’s West Side to bring Mullins’ body to a funeral home in Man. Logan County law enforcement, joined by state police, Kanawha County sheriff’s deputies, Chapmanville, Man, and even Harlan County, Kentucky, paid their respects to the fallen hero.
The line continues for blocks…a huge outpouring of support for an emotional evening. @WVMetroNews https://t.co/RiZHVAoFNg
— Jack Carlson (@JumpinJack123) October 26, 2026
Kanawha County Sheriff Joey Crawford told MetroNews that he wouldn’t have missed this for the world.
“I think it’s very important to show solidarity, to show the love and the compassion that we all should have, not only as law enforcement, but as citizens,” Crawford said.
Crawford noted that a crowd of citizens gathered as the procession traveled by. He said that’s what makes West Virginia special.
“Paying tribute to a hero, that lost his life in line of duty,” Crawford said. “It’s humbling for us as law enforcement to see that, so we know that we’re appreciated and everybody is on the same page. I think that’s what’s different about West Virginia than a lot of other states.”
Logan County Chief Deputy Mike LaFauci said the procession was a proper sendoff for Mullins.
“After a tragedy like our department has suffered, we want to pay respects to our brother and his family and make sure that we do right by him, being that he paid the ultimate sacrifice,” LaFauci said.
A female passenger in Mullins’ cruiser survived the Saturday crash. Authorities said that the woman, Mullins’ “significant other,” was severely injured and transported to CAMC hospital. Caden’s brother Jason “Gage” Mullins is also a member of the Logan County Sheriff’s Department, serving as a deputy.
Crawford said that, in this time of grief, it’s important to be there for one another.
“The main thing is we come together and we make sure we support the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and the families that are affected in this tragedy,” Crawford said. “Make sure we get them what they need and show the respect and honor that’s due a hero.”
West Virginia Sheriff’s Association Executive Director Rodney Miller said on MetroNews “Midday” on Monday that it’s a tough loss for everyone when a law enforcement officer dies.
“When folks work together, sweat together, bleed together, cry together, and experience these traumas, they do become family, they do become close,” Miller said. “So, it’s even more impactful when that tragedy hits so close to home.”
Miller said that deputies from other counties filled in to assist Logan County on Monday.
“Unfortunately, we still have bad things happen,” Miller said. “The helpers of the world still need to be there. But those people realize that, on a split-second notice, this could be them.”
As the procession drove by along Virginia Street West, residents of Charleston’s West Side stopped to pay homage. LaFauci said that’s how West Virginians are; they show up for one another.
“It’s one thing I will say, not only for law enforcement, but the West Virginia citizens and the communities in West Virginia, it’s all a tight-knit group, and when there’s a tragedy, everybody comes together,” LaFauci said.
Crawford said the well-attended procession speaks volumes, both about West Virginia’s law enforcement and its people as a whole.
“Basically, you don’t have to say anything,” Crawford said. “Just look and you know by seeing the outpouring love and support from agencies all around the state. And I think we may even have some other agencies from out of state that have traveled up here to be a part of this and show tribute and respect.”
Funeral services are set for Friday at the Krantz-McNeely Funeral Home for Caden Mullins.
For a man gone way too soon, LaFauci said, they were determined to send Mullins home the right way.
“Just honoring a good man and a good deputy, a good father, a good son,” LaFauci said. “And we’re ready to get him home and have him put the rest in the way he deserves.”