Celebration Of Life Announced For Fallen Pierce County Deputy

TACOMA, WA — The Pierce County Sheriff's Department has announced a Celebration of Life for Deputy Dom Calata later this week.

Calata, 35, was shot during a SWAT operation in south Spanaway Tuesday, in which a suspect opened fire on SWAT team members. The suspect was killed, and Calata received serious injuries. The deputy was taken to a Tacoma hospital for emergency treatment, but died the following day.

Calata had been with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department for six and a half years, and was most recently assigned to patrol with the Edgewood Police Department. Before that, he served in the National Guard for seven years, and spent five years in the U.S. Army. He leaves behind a wife and young son.

Following his death, the Sheriff's Department has received an outpouring of support from other law enforcement agencies, the City of Tacoma, the Pierce County Council, and the community at large.

Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer told The News Tribune he will remember Calata as a "big-hearted, great guy" who got along with everyone.

"We are devastated by this news and acknowledge the impact this extraordinary loss has on Deputy Calata's family, and the Pierce County Sheriff's Department," Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards and Tacoma Council Member Conor McCarthy said in a joint statement. "We appreciate the incredibly difficult work that officers across our community do every day to protect and serve and express our utmost support during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Deputy Calata's family and to all the brave men and women who serve in uniform."

To recognize Calata's life and his death in the line of duty, a Celebration of Life ceremony will be held this Friday at 1 p.m. in the Church for all Nations at 111 112th St E, Tacoma. The service is open to the public, but because space is limited, organizers say priority seating will be reserved for family, friends and first responders. Once seats fill up, well-wishers will be encouraged to visit a satellite location, Champions Centre at 1819 E 72nd St, Tacoma.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department has also established a fundraiser to support Calata's family.

Another deputy, Sergeant Rich Scaniffe, was injured in the shooting that took Calata's life. After a round of surgery and several days in the treatment, Scaniffe was released from the hospital on Friday.

Little else about the shooting that killed Calata and injured Scaniffe has been released. It remains under the jurisdiction of the Pierce County Force Investigation Team (PCFIT), who will continue to investigate the incident, a standard response for any situation in which police use deadly force inside the county.