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On July 15th, 2024, Pierce County deputies in Washington were searching for 37-year-old Dante Cudini, the main suspect in a homicide where a woman had been shot and killed inside her car. Days earlier, an officer safety bullet and urged deputies to use extreme caution, noting he was armed and had made threatening statements about police. When deputies saw him leaving his property, they moved in to stop him. What deputies didn't know is that he had already kidnapped another woman and was holding her hostage inside his pickup. about 33 pursuing this connection. >> Now to re to reiterate, there is no TC for at this time. This time >> Yep. >> Now you just tried to take out primary shot fire. >> You just hit a truck for county. I'm here with Olson. It was hit by the vehicle is we're going to report those shots fired at 250 highway. Is everybody on this channel okay? [music] >> We're southbound. I'll make that eastbound 260th from Mountain Highway. Traffic's medium. Uh, stand by >> motor. I think it's a motor smoking. >> There's almost no traffic. We're going pretty slow. He's just swerving. We're still eastbound. He's waving at deputies. I >> think he's swerving to avoid the pit. Chad's going in. >> Watch out, Chad. Someone's trying to block him. Maybe citizen citizen trying to assist. >> I'm still eastbound. I'm holding a bit 58,000. Speeds are 40. >> 58. >> Speed's 40. No traffic. He's waving his arms out the window like a wild man. Still he's got 40. >> Here he goes. Just showing approaching rock approaching 60 on the north side for six. out the window. The window out the window shot window. >> Who's taking shots? area north stationary. Stop. Stop. You're pregnant. >> I won't do this. >> Police. Drop the gun. >> Drop the gun. >> They will shoot you. >> I will drop the gun. >> Drop it. >> Got the wrong guy. >> Drop the gun. Coming up. Coming up. >> Coming up behind you. [laughter] >> Get out. Get out. GET OUT. [screaming] WATCH your back. Watch your back. >> Watch your back. >> Are you okay? >> Are you okay? >> Are you okay? >> Let's get us. I'm going to grab a shield. I had no visual. >> SHOW ME YOUR HANDS. >> SHOW ME YOUR HANDS. >> I'm grabbing a shield. Then we can go up. >> Okay, hang on. Shield can steer us a shield. He >> We got one coming. >> We're good. I'm grabbing a shield. He's down. >> 406. Let's get fire priority for him. All deputies look good. >> Someone want to grab a medical? >> He's still breathing, so we need to stand by. I don't know where that >> Yeah, we'll come up with a safety plan. >> What? You want me to move up on the right? >> No, just stay stay there. >> I can get that door open. >> Don't go in there. >> I'm just raising the door. >> Don't go in there. >> Hey, let's move a vehicle up, guys. >> Police, show us your hands. >> Show us your hands. >> We want to get you help. >> Show us your hands and come out so we can help you. See if I can pop that garage door open with the female, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Good. Good. Good. >> Get that spotlight on him, please. Ollie, what >> spotlight? >> We do not have visual arms. >> I'm good. You're good. Just >> back. I think she's good. He's This guy's not cooperating with us and had the gun in his hand. He's still boop a little bit. >> I can't really tell. His foot moved. >> Why don't we move this car back? Get some cover and just wait. >> Ready? >> Yeah. Just back it up a little. Keep going. Ollie, >> is it worth moving up? Pulling him out. >> No, not you. We don't know where the guy is. Still alive. >> Let's do this as safe for us and for him as we can. >> Yeah. >> Chris, he almost hit him though. >> Tried to run him over. I was right behind him. >> Where Where's the female that he was with? >> Someone grabbed her. >> He's on the left in this car in his arms. He still has the gun. You want me to go up with a shield with you? >> Get that guy out of there. GET THAT GUY OUT. GET THAT GUY OUT OF THERE. GET HIM OUT OF THERE. COME ON. GET HIM OUT OF THERE. GET THAT GUY OUT OF THERE. GET THAT GUY OUT OF THERE. GET HIM OUT OF THE HOUSE, BOY. GET HIM OUT OF THERE. >> Good boy. GET HIM OUT OF THERE. GOOD BOY. >> COVER. He's got no rifle. >> Good boy, Eddie. >> Got a rifle and a shield. >> Glove up. Just take time and glove up. >> The gun might be under him right now. Guns right here by the >> Let's roll fast. Clear. >> Uh, >> holster. >> Any guns in there? >> Magazine. >> The The gun is right here. >> Okay, I guess for fire. Let's go and have them roll in. >> Yeah, they're coming. >> All right, we'll get some aid started. We got some holes on his tummy. >> We got broken glass and pipes and >> leg wounds. >> Did you shoot over here? Go ahead and separate. >> Yes. >> Go ahead. Separate them over there. >> I got him. I got him. I got him. >> The suspect, Dante Kudini, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said he had fired at deputies from inside the garage before being shot and killed. He had no connection to the home where the shooting occurred and an 81-year-old woman inside the [music] residence was safely evacuated. The incident was later reviewed and prosecutors in Pierce County ruled the shooting justified. Attorney Kelly Montgomery stated the deputies had no reasonably [music] effective alternative than to use deadly force because Mr. Cudini could kill the human hostage, fire upon the deputies, or run into that residence and take an additional hostage if not stopped. This was one of the last rescues by K9 Eddie. Later that summer, he apprehended a robbery suspect, his [music] last call, and was retired from service. >> GET THAT GUY. I'M SORRY. Stay there. Right there. You got it. You got it. You got it. You got him. Sometimes the bulletins we get at roll call become a scary reality on patrol. This type of situation is never just a standoff because he's using a human as a shield while every cop on scene is doing math in their head that nobody at home ever has to do. That's what makes this clip so brutal. And this was never going to be a simple stop because the second he put a woman in front of him like she was body horror and knew his fate was going to be sealed. Being taken hostage is rare, but rare doesn't mean impossible. And when it does happen, it can be ugly and violent. And it turns regular people into leverage in somebody else's game. That's why that deputy shot mattered. It wasn't aggression. It was precision under stress. A quick decision made with a human life literally blocking the threat. And those deputies, much respect to them because they made it home. But that moment doesn't just go away. And after the scene is clear, they left that garage. But I'm almost positive that garage never left those deputies.

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