Spanaway man accused of violently shaking 2-week-old daughter causing severe brain injury

TACOMA -- A Spanaway man is charged with first-degree assault of a child, accused of violently shaking his two-week old daughter and likely causing permanent injuries.

According to charging documents filed in Pierce County, a woman left her 2-week and 2-year old children in the care of  32-year-old Calvin Jerome Taylor on Oct. 9, 2015 while she went to work. When she returned home, the 2-week-old was asleep, but soon woke up and began crying. The mother said that the child was "shaking" and could not open her eyes, so she called 9-1-1.

Medics could not find anything wrong with the baby, but the mother was not convinced and took the girl to the hospital. Doctors found bleeding in the brain. They told deputies that the injuries appeared to be consistent with shaking the baby.

After a CT scan, Taylor then admitted to dropping the child after tripping on a toy, according to court documents. He told investigators he did not say anything about dropping the baby before because he did not want to upset his wife.

The child is now six months old and has been having seizures during her time in the hospital. Doctors say the child is functioning at the level of a 2 to 3-month old and will likely continue to need chiropractic and neurological care.