During the 1980s, the surge of illegal drug distribution in American cities drove a dramatic increase in gang activity and urban crime. Although drug abuse continues to be a serious issue today—especially with the ongoing opioid crisis—the drug epidemic of the 1980s and ’90s brought challenges of an extraordinary intensity. A notable episode occurred in Tacoma, Washington, where U.S. Army Rangers became embroiled in a tense confrontation with local gang members. The encounter highlighted just how deeply the drug trade had penetrated communities and how rapidly such situations could escalate.
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 bold gamble when he purchased a house in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood—an area notorious for high crime rates and a strong gang presence. He acquired the property for just $10,000, hoping it would become a valuable investment as the area gradually improved.
What Foulk likely did not foresee was the extreme danger he was stepping into. Hilltop was dominated by open drug dealing and armed gangs who operated with near-total impunity. Residents had even dubbed the area the “Wild West” because of its constant violence and lawlessness.
With the city’s police stretched thin and often outmatched, law enforcement struggled to maintain control, leaving civilians like Foulk to navigate the escalating chaos largely on their own.
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…