One of the two deputies injured during the SWAT arrest attempt died

Authorities say two Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies were shot and killed as they tried to arrest a man south of Tacoma, Washington.

Tacoma, wash. – One of the two Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies who were shot and killed while trying to arrest a man south of Tacoma, Washington, has died, authorities said Wednesday.

Dominic “Dom” Calata, 35, died Tuesday after a gun battle in Spanway, according to a statement from the Washington Council of Police and Sheriff’s Office.

A statement on the law enforcement group’s Facebook page said, “Please pray for Dom and for those who know and love him.”

According to The News Tribune, Kalata was taken to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Tacoma after the shooting. He was with the sheriff’s department for more than six years and was in the National Guard. Prior to that, Kalata served in the U.S. Army for five years. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, was married and had a 4 year old son.

The other deputy is identified as Rich Scanif, 45. Scaniff’s condition was serious after surgery at St. Joseph’s Medical Center. He is expected to survive.

Scaniff has been with the department for 21 years. He is a patrol sergeant assigned to Mountain Detachment and a SWAT team commander. Scaniff is married and has a daughter in elementary school, officials said.

“These are people who have a heart for public service,” said Sheriff Ed Troy. “It’s a tragedy all around.”

The suspect was killed in a gunfight.

The deputies were assisting the South Sound Gang Task Force to serve a warrant on a 40-year-old man for second-degree assault.

Police say the man, previously convicted of a crime, was believed to be a candidate for three strike lawsuits. That means he could face life in prison if convicted of another crime.

At least 97 people have been injured and four killed in a powerful earthquake in Japan

A tsunami alert has been issued off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

A strong earthquake struck off the coast of Japan late Wednesday night, threatening a tsunami and leaving more than 2 million families without electricity, officials said.

At the initial report, it was 7.3. The quake struck just off the coast from Fukushima.

At least 97 people were injured and four were killed in multiple prefectures in Japan, according to the Associated Press.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert on the east coast of Honshu, Japan, based on preliminary earthquake parameters. The epicenter was reported below the Pacific Ocean floor, however; no tsunami alert was issued.

According to the US National Tsunami Warning Center, no tsunami alert was issued in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia or Alaska.

Japan’s NHK World News Service initially reported that there was a major power outage in the Tokyo area where more than 2 million households are currently without electricity. By 3 a.m. local time, power had been restored in “most” areas of Tokyo, the NHK reported.

According to the Kyodo News Agency, the quake caused one of Japan’s Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed rail-line trains to derail with 100 passengers on board. No injuries were reported, the agency said.

The epicenter was reported at 11:36 a.m. local time, with the epicenter about 20.5 miles below sea level, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

In 2011, a strong earthquake and tsunami hit the same general area and caused a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Japan’s nuclear regulator said on Wednesday that preliminary data did not indicate any abnormalities at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

ABC’s Alex Stone reports.

The abducted Ukrainian mayor has been released in a “special operation”, officials say

The mayor of Melitopol is alleged to have been abducted by Russian forces on March 11.

The mayor of an occupied Ukrainian city kidnapped by Russian forces last week has been released, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.

According to Kirilo Tymoshenko, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, has been released from captivity in a “special operation”. Timoshenko did not elaborate.

Melitopol has been occupied since the first day of the Russian invasion. Ukrainian officials say Fedorov, who insisted the southeastern Ukrainian city would remain free and supported daily pro-Ukrainian protests, was abducted on March 11 after resisting occupation.

Fedorov disappeared after a large group of heavily armed Russian soldiers carried a bag over his head in Melitopol’s Victory Square in a CCTV video shared by Timoshenko in the Telegram. Russian-controlled separatists then announced that they were bringing charges against Fedorov for “aiding terrorism.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video of himself in a telegram on Wednesday, saying he had spoken to Fedorov on the phone. The mayor thanked Zelensky and said he needed a few days to recover from his ordeal and would then be ready to comply with any order.

A smiling Zelensky said he was happy to talk to Fedorov and “we will not leave him behind.”

Zelensky mentioned the call in a national speech on Wednesday night.

“We have finally been able to free the mayor of Melitopol from captivity,” he said. “Ivan Fedorov is free. I spoke to him today. The Russian military kidnapped him on March 11, tried to persuade him to cooperate. But our man resisted. He did not give up. Just as we all endure.”

The president demanded Fedorov’s release in several video messages, calling it a “crime against democracy.”

“The actions of the Russian aggressors will be equated with the actions of the ISIS terrorists,” he said last week.

Following the alleged abduction, a pro-Russian administration appears to have been set up in Melitopol. A local lawmaker from a pro-Russian party gave a televised speech on Saturday, during which he said “a committee of elected officials” is now in charge of running the city. Lawmaker Galina Danilchenko called the protesters “extremists” and called on the public not to allow workers to “destabilize” the situation.

Russia’s riot police have been deployed in Melitcholo to prevent protests there.

Russian forces have reportedly abducted another mayor in an occupied town in the region. The mayor of Dnipropetrovsk, Yevgeny Matveyev, was abducted on Sunday, according to Alexander Staruk, head of the regional military administration.

Earlier Wednesday, Ukrainian officials claimed that the third mayor of southern Ukraine – Alexander Yakovlev of Skadovsk – and his deputy Yuri Paliuk had been “kidnapped” by Russian forces.

“Russian invaders continue to kidnap democratically elected local leaders in Ukraine,” said Dmitry Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister. Said on Twitter. “The state and international organizations must immediately demand that Russia release all abducted Ukrainian officials!”

Patrick Revel of ABC News contributed to this report.

The Irish leader tested positive for COVID during a visit to DC

Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin learned he was positive for COVID-19 when he attended an event Wednesday evening with U.S. leaders, including President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a senior administration official said.

Martin – also known as Taoisech of Ireland – was attending the 30th National Irish Fund event at the National Building Museum in Washington when he tested positive, with US leaders ahead of a planned St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Thursday.

The official was not authorized to speak to Martin about his condition and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

White House spokesman Chris Megher said Biden, who spoke briefly at the event, was not considered a close associate of Martin. The COVID-19 close call came a day after a second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, tested positive for the virus.

It was not immediately clear how Martin’s diagnosis would affect the St. Patrick’s Day events scheduled at the White House.