I was at Ft. Lewis in 1991 and heard a version of this story. It went something like this.
A Ranger Co. 1SGT lived near hilltop. He was organizing a community watch program and was informing police of suspected drug house activity on his street. One weekend a group of gang bangers started making threatening comments to him and his family, he called the Duty NCO and had the armorer open up the arms room so the barracks rats could get all their POW’s rounded up, (privately owned weaponse) and about 20 or so heavily armed rangers in webgear and body armor rolled up to his house and scared the gang bangers silly. Different versions claim shots were exchanged or not. Tacoma police refused to file charges against the Rangers, the drug house quickly stopped suspicious activity, and the neighbors all joined the crime watch group.
I can’t verify whether any of that story is true, it was just what was going around when I was there. You know how stories and rumors go...
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
The incident was known as the Tacoma Hilltop Shootout. It occurred in 9/89 and involved a Ft. Lewis Ranger and some of his friends who confronted some local drug slingers. They tried to intimidate the Ranger when he set up a video camera in a window of his house to record drug deals. There was shooting, but no casualties. The Army discharged the Ranger. There are good accounts to be read if you google it.
It’s a true story,and yes many shots were fired.Tacoma News Tribune reran the story about two months back.