Sheriff Grady Barnes

Sheriff Grady Barnes is the main protagonist of the 2007 natural horror film Maneater. He is the aging and peace-loving, but capable Sheriff of a near-crime-free town in the Appalachian Trail.

Background
The date of Sheriff Barnes' birth is unknown, however, he married a woman named Mary and the two never were able to have children and prayed for them often.

Maneater
Sheriff Grady Barnes, the peaceful and loving Sheriff of his town, is going about his usual day and, after he settled an argument between rival quilt sellers, is alerted that a jogger had gone missing. He has the vet called and has him try to use his tracking dog to find the missing jogger, but the dog spooked and, as he was about to continue on foot wth his deputies, he was alerted that someone else had gone missing. Sheriff Barnes drove to the home of hermit Cotty Washburn, where he found the mangled remains of the hermit at the end of a drag trail. The coroner told Barnes that an animal had done the killing, but that it was too big to have been a native one. Later, at the scene of another victim, Barnes found the pawprint of the animal responsible for the killing and had it casted. The vet told Barnes the killer was a Bengal tiger, shocking Barnes and prompting him to hold a press conference to warn the public. He warns that no one should go outside unless grouped and armed and to stay indoors if possible, angering Mayor Hundt, who told Barnes to try to keep people safe quietly.

The next morning, Barnes is notified by his deputy, Weinman, that someone had offered a $10,000 reward for the head of the tiger. Barnes had the reward rescinded and took to the woods to try and keep out bounty hunters, but they encountered Roy Satterly, a young boy whose mother keeps him isolated and teaches him the bible, and try to give chase, but are stopped cold by the sound of the tiger nearby. They found a scene where the tiger had attacked and killed a photographer and see photos of the tiger on his camera, which quickly end up in the papers. The mayor is again angered and informed Barnes that the National Guard would be arriving the following morning the kill the tiger. Barnes, after taking Roy home when they meet and telling his mother to keep him inside, met with the guardsmen, led by Sergeant Wenshiser, and tried to lend advice and help, but was arrogantly rejected. When Wenshiser pointed to a tent across the field, Barned walked over and met with Colonel James Livingston-Graham, a wise and experienced specialist of hunting man-eating tigers from England, who told Barnes that the soldiers would fail to kill the tiger and that he would start his hunt for the tiger when they were finished.

Later, Barnes met up with Sergeant Wenshiser, who had just lost one of his troops to the tiger. When he asked if Wenshiser had a plan B, everyone present was surprised by the sudden appearance of Colonel Graham, who advised against calling for reinforcements as it would only be risking more lives and easily told and showed them how the tiger had killed the guardsman, as well as located his body. As Graham left, Barnes tried to accompany him, but Graham told him that he worked alone and that if he wanted to help, he should go back to town and tend to his people since Graham couldn't pass along the kind of knowledge needed to hunt a man-eating tiger as advice. Later, Barnes is notified that Weiman and another, deputy, Hundt, the mayor's son, had found an abandoned National Guard troop transport and that Weinman and Hundt had gone missing. Barnes arrived on the scene and drove back all the press members, before learning that Hundt had been killed by the tiger from Weinman. At that moment, Colonel Graham appeared once again and greeted them, after tracking the tiger there.

Graham explained how the tiger had attacked the guardsman and deputy and asked Barnes if he could avoid the press since he wasn't too fond of the coverage, which Barnes agreed to. Later, at another press conference, Barnes informed the public of the tiger's recent attacks and was informed that Graham was exiled from India after he failed to kill his last tiger for two years, in which the tiger killed over two-hundred people. When Kathy Curick, a snoby news reporter, continuously mocked him, he angrily barked back and ended the interview. Afterwards, he and Mayor Hundt tearfully talk about children, including Ezra, the killed deputy, whom Barnes had known since he was young. That night, Barnes visited Graham's tent to talk about his last hunt, and Graham told him the tiger was beyond his ability to kill and that he was forced to relocate to England to live after his failure.

On his way home later, Barnes drove up to a local store where he had been alerted of a break-in alarm and was chased into the store by the tiger. He found Graham's hat and rifle and followed a blood trail, but quickly heard Roy calling to him outside from under a truck. Barnes dove under the truck to protect him from the tiger when it attacked and told Roy to run to his SUV when the tiger jumped into the bed of the truck as he grabbed his pistol. Barnes attempted to shoot the tiger several times and hit a gas tank with his final shot, exploding it and killing the tiger. At that moment, Graham appeared and later, at the Sheriff's office, Barnes offered to let him live with him if he wanted to stay in America and was politely declined. Graham and Barnes shook hands as he decided to go home. Sheriff Barnes and his wife happily adopt the orphaned Roy, having never been able to have children.