‘He would not be taken alive’: Pierce County releases video of fatal 2023 shootout with DUI suspect
Mar 5, 2026, 5:59 PM
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) released body-cam and dash-cam video of a 2023 pursuit and fatal officer-involved shooting of a DUI suspect on Thursday.
What deputies didn’t know at the time was that the suspect was also involved in a double homicide. The video is intense and violent, but was released for reasons of transparency and to show the danger faced by law officers.
On December 12, 2023, PCSO deputies Beddo and Dolan were on proactive patrol during a graveyard shift. The Central Patrol graveyard shift covers unincorporated Pierce County, with as few as six deputies per shift. These deputies provide police services to an area that is larger than the city of Tacoma but with a similar population.
“Many of our most proactive deputies work graveyard patrol by choice,” PCSO stated. “In between responding to calls for service, they dedicate their time to looking for wanted criminals and stopping crimes in progress.”
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Pierce County suspect opened fire on deputies during attempted DUI arrest
While patrolling, they observed a pickup truck driving recklessly and “displaying indicators” of driving under the influence.
Deputies attempted to stop the truck, but the suspect fled, leading to a pursuit. The driver was armed, a member of a white supremacist gang, and had previously been involved in a double murder.
As deputies attempted to arrest the suspect for DUI, he opened fire on deputies Beddo and Dolan.
“[The suspect] decided he would not be taken alive,” PCSO stated. “Before the night was over, both deputies would put their training to the test to save each other’s lives.”
Both deputies were struck by gunfire from the suspect. One of the deputies struck was shielded by his ballistic vest, which lodged in a pair of handcuffs located on his chest. The second deputy was grazed in his lower body by a “projectile.”
Both deputies who were hit by gunfire survived the incident. The suspect was killed.
Contributing: Jason Sutich, MyNorthwest
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