Former Seattle policeman dies while in Iraq as a contractor

A former Seattle police officer who resigned from the department two years ago to fight the war in Iraq died Tuesday after being in the country for just a few days.

Maj. Guyton "Guy" Barattieri arrived in Iraq on Saturday for a contracting job. The 36-year-old worked as a patrol officer in the Seattle Police Department's South Precinct from March 2001 until August 2004.

Barattieri was an Army Special Forces reservist who was about to be promoted, his mother said.

"He was the best of the best," Barbara Barattieri said over the phone Wednesday from her home in Cincinnati. "We are just having a hard time dealing with this. He was one of these guys this could never happen to."

After graduating from West Point in 1992, Barattieri served in numerous positions in the Army, his mother said.

He moved to Seattle about 14 years ago and had worked for the Seattle Police Department and as a reserve officer for the Milton Police Department. Officers knew of Barattieri by the nickname "Bear."

Barbara Barattieri said her son loved being a Seattle police officer.

Barattieri leaves behind a wife, who lives in Seattle, and two daughters.

Details about how Barattieri died or what type of job he was doing in Iraq weren't available Wednesday night. A Fort Lewis spokesman said he hadn't received any information about Barattieri's death from the Department of Defense.

More than 50 Washington soldiers and military contractors have died in Iraq since the war began.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com

News partner KING-5 contributed to this report.