Fallen Pierce County Deputy Dom Calata honored on Rose Parade float

KIRO 7 News Staff
·1 min read

A Pierce County deputy who was killed in the line of duty was honored at the Pasadena Rose Parade Monday.

Deputy Dom Calata was shot during a SWAT operation in Spanaway in March 2022.

Calata, 35, served with the sheriff’s department for more than six years and is survived by his wife and young son.

He was nominated by local organ donor organization, LifeCenter Northwest, to be honored on the OneLegacy national donor organization float.

The purpose of the float is to raise awareness about lifesaving organ and tissue donations. The float features donor portraits made of flowers, and the donation recipients accompany the float on the parade route.

Calata’s family traveled to Pasadena to see the Dom’s portrait on the float up close.

The deputy’s donations included lungs, both kidneys, his pancreas, liver, as well as bone and tissue. His brain was donated to a scientific study at the University of Washington, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

In December, using glue and coffee grounds, Calata’s wife and son helped finish Dom’s floral portrait that was placed on the Rose Parade float.