BODYCAM VIDEO: Pierce County deputies’ shootout with murder suspect holding woman hostage.
Prosecutors in Pierce County have ruled that sheriff’s deputies were justified in killing a murder suspect during a shootout in Graham last year.
In a letter to Sheriff Keith Swank, Deputy prosecuting attorney Kelly Montgomery also credited the deputies with saving the life of a woman who was taken hostage prior to the July 2024 shootout with 37-year-old Dante Cudini.
Pierce County prosecutors have ruled that sheriff’s deputies were justified in the fatal shooting of Dante Cudini, 37, during a shootout and hostage situation in Graham, Washington, in July 2024.
Details of the Incident
Initial Crime: Cudini was the primary suspect in the random shooting and murder of 47-year-old Teresa Latham in Spanaway in March 2024. An officer-safety bulletin warned that Cudini was known to carry a pistol and had made statements about shooting police.
The Pursuit: On July 15, 2024, deputies located Cudini in a vehicle and attempted to apprehend him. A high-speed chase ensued through Spanaway and Graham, during which Cudini allegedly aimed his vehicle at a deputy who fired shots in return.
Hostage Situation and Shootout: The pursuit ended when Cudini’s vehicle stopped in front of a home. He exited the vehicle with a gun held to the head of a woman, taking her hostage. He moved toward the home’s garage, using the woman as a human shield and yelling belligerently at deputies to back away.
Fatal Encounter: A deputy identified an opportunity to shoot Cudini without hitting the hostage. That shot injured Cudini, allowing other deputies an angle to fire. Cudini fired at the deputies from the garage, and was subsequently pulled from the scene and pronounced dead. An 81-year-old woman inside the home was safely taken into protective custody.
Justification Ruling: In a letter to the Sheriff, the prosecuting attorney stated that the deputies had no reasonable alternative to using deadly force, given the immediate risk Cudini posed to the hostage, the deputies, and nearby residents. The prosecutor also credited the deputies with saving the woman’s life.
The Pierce County Force Investigation Team conducted the investigation into the use of force.
More details, including body camera footage of the incident, were released after the investigation concluded.
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