Washington SWAT deputy shot in line of duty has died
Dominique "Dom" Calata, 35, leaves behind a wife and young son
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One of two Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies wounded in an exchange of gunfire as they tried to arrest a man south of Tacoma, Washington, has died, authorities said Wednesday.
Dominique "Dom" Calata, 35, died following Tuesday’s shootout in Spanaway, according to a statement from the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs.
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"[Dom] was all about service… and I'll tell you where that comes from—after meeting his parents, his parents are something," Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer said at a briefing outside St. Joseph that FOX 13 Seattle attended. "They stood by his side, and they’re very happy with us and the citizens of Pierce County, and told me how much he loved his job. It starts at home."
Calata had been with the sheriff’s department for more than six years and was in the National Guard. Before that, Calata served five years in the U.S. Army. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, was married and had a 4-year-old son.
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Calata and 45-year-old Sgt. Richard "Rich" Scaniffe were helping the South Sound Gang Task Force serve a warrant to 40-year-old Jeremy Dayton, who was wanted for second-degree assault. Shots were fired, injuring the two deputies before they were rushed to the hospital.
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Scaniffe was in serious condition after undergoing surgery at the St. Joseph Medical Center. He is expected to survive.
Dayton, who police said has prior felony convictions, was believed to be a candidate for the three strikes law. That means he would have faced life in prison if convicted of another crime. Instead, he was killed in the shootout.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.