After 3 days in hospital, Pierce County deputy shot on duty is headed home for recovery

Holding onto a walker and with a helping hand on his arm, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Rich Scaniffe walked out of St. Joseph Medical Center on Friday, three days after he was shot during a SWAT operation in Spanaway.

The Sheriff’s Department shared video on social media of the moment Scaniffe walked out of the hospital. He was escorted home by fellow SWAT team members, where he will begin his recovery.

“He was expected to be in the hospital for up to a week, but thanks to the amazing work by the medical staff, doctors, and nurses, he is going home after just three days in the hospital,” the Sheriff’s Department wrote on its Facebook page.

Scaniffe, 45, is the commander of the SWAT team and a patrol sergeant assigned to the Mountain detachment. He has been with the department for 21 years.

He and deputy Dominique Calata were shot while serving an arrest warrant Tuesday morning for a 40-year-old man wanted for second-degree assault. Deputies exchanged gunfire with the man, who died at the scene. Records show he has a violent criminal history and has spent time in prison.

Calata died Wednesday at the hospital. Scaniffe was taken to the hospital in serious condition, where he underwent surgery. Outside St. Joseph Medical Center on Tuesday, Sheriff Ed Troyer said Scaniffe has a heart for public service.