During the 1980s, the explosive growth of illegal drug trafficking in American cities fueled a dramatic rise in gang activity and street violence. Although substance abuse remains a serious issue today—especially with the ongoing opioid crisis—the drug epidemic of the 1980s and ’90s brought a degree of chaos that many urban communities had never previously faced. One striking incident unfolded in Tacoma, Washington, where U.S. Army Rangers found themselves unexpectedly caught in a volatile standoff with local gang members. The confrontation underscored how deeply the drug trade had embedded itself in everyday life and how rapidly ordinary neighborhoods could be pulled into dangerous, unpredictable conflict.
Staff Sgt. William Foulk bought a house in a rough neighborhood
Staff Sgt. William “Bill” Foulk of the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis took a calculated risk when he bought a house in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, an area infamous for entrenched gang activity and soaring crime rates. He paid just $10,000 for the property, believing the community might one day rebound and that the purchase would turn into a smart long-term investment.
What Foulk did not anticipate was the intensity and unpredictability of daily life in Hilltop. Drug dealers and armed gangs operated in the open, often seemingly unchecked by authorities. Residents grimly referred to the neighborhood as the “Wild West,” a nickname born from frequent gunfire, constant street-level drug deals, and an ever-present atmosphere of threat.
With the Tacoma Police Department overwhelmed and struggling to maintain control, many residents were left to fend for themselves. For Foulk, staying safe meant drawing on both his military training and the backing of his fellow Rangers—conditions that would soon lead to one of the most remarkable civilian–military confrontations in modern American history.
Houses along the block saw serious gang activity
Staff Sgt. Foulk began to suspect that people living in a nearby house on Ash Street, where he also lived, were involved in drug dealing.
To gather proof, he set up a camera in one of his windows. The gang members quickly noticed it and tried to destroy it by throwing rotten pears. When that didn’t work, they decided to shoot at it instead.
Foulk then confronted the gang directly, demanding that they stop both shooting at the camera and their illegal activities in the area. As expected, the gang didn’t take it well, telling the Army Ranger to stay out of their business—something he had no intention of doing.
The Ash Street shootout of 1989
After a tense encounter with local gang members, Staff Sgt. Foulk grew concerned that they might come after him. To prepare, he sent his wife away for safety and invited his fellow Army Rangers over for a barbecue. Between 10 and 15 Rangers showed up—armed and ready. That decision turned out to be a smart one, because on September 23, 1989, Foulk’s home was attacked.
The gang likely didn’t expect such a strong response. The Rangers quickly took defensive positions and returned fire. The gunfight lasted somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes before police arrived and broke it up. While most of the gang members got away, two were caught and charged with assault and weapons violations.
The Rangers were not charged with any crimes, although their weapons were taken by authorities.
Aftermath of the shootout
The most amazing thing about the Ash Street shootout was that no one was killed or hurt, despite over 100 rounds being fired. Maj. Clyde Newman of the 2nd Ranger Battalion said of the incident, “From everything I am told by the city police, the Rangers were right. They were having a party, and they were attacked.”
Sam Thrall, a police sergeant, noted, “I think what happens now is we go up to Ash Street and clean them out… We have a real concentration of bad guys there and the neighborhood has finally clashed with them face to face. The fact that nobody got hurt – it is kind of amazing.”
The incident was a turning point for Tacoma, as it drew attention to the rampant crime in the city. Residents became involved in policing their own neighborhoods and created a safe spaces program that remains in place to this day. City officials also adjusted their budget to ensure additional police officers could be hired.
The Hilltop neighborhood completely changed
The shootout on Ash Street was wild and chaotic, but, eventually, Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood became one of the city’s safest. As for Staff Sgt. Foulk, his investment became an incredible success. According to RedFin, the house he purchased for $10,000 is now worth well over what he paid – between $330,000 and $450,000!