CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A man is accused of setting fire to a Caldwell County deputy’s home last week while one person was inside.
Officials say William Junior Sisk, 41, approached the deputy’s home in Granite Falls on Sunday, Feb. 28, and set the residence on fire. Surveillance captured Sisk throwing a large bucket of liquid—described as “gas” by Fox46 Charlotte—on the front door of the home and setting fire to the house with a lighter, officials say.
One person was inside the home at the time but no one was hurt, WBTV reported.
“Sisk can be heard making the statements ‘now you are going to die’ and ‘you had this coming’ on the video footage,” deputies say.
“This is definitely different,” said Caldwell County Sheriff Alan C. Jones. “If you do something like this, we’re going to round you up quickly.”
Sisk was soon arrested, but Jones says he assaulted two other deputies during the arrest, CBS17 reported.
The targeted deputy was not home during the incident.
Sisk, who lives near the deputy, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree arson.
Investigators are trying to figure out a motive. The only connection they’ve made so far is Sisk’s close proximity to the deputy’s home.
“There’s no definite connection right now,” said the sheriff.
“From our family to that cop’s family, we are sorry,” said Sisk’s cousin, who asked not to be identified.
Sisk’s family believes he’s fallen through the cracks.
They says he’s long battled mental illness but has never been able to get the help he needs.
“If someone would have given him the help he needed it wouldn’t have to come to this. Because it’s not him,” his cousin said. “The William on medicine is totally different than the William not on medicine.”
Sisk was placed in the Catawba County Detention Center under a $1,000,000 secured bond.
