Man Killed By Security Guard In Apparent Theft Attempt

A 44-year-old Tacoma man, who apparently was attempting to steal scrap metal with a 17-year-old, was shot and killed last night by a security guard in a former boat-building warehouse on Tacoma's waterfront.

Lawrence Buck, 44, of Tacoma, died of a single gunshot to the head before he could be flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Tacoma Police said.

The shooting occurred inside a building that was part of the former Tacoma Boat Co., 1840 Marine View Drive, along the Hylebos Waterway adjacent to Commencement Bay.

The teenager, whose name was not released, was jailed for suspicion of burglary. He was uninjured.

The guard for Pierce County Security, Hans Allard, in his 50s, was questioned by Tacoma Police detectives and then released. Allard's actions "appear to be justified" because Buck apparently was threatening the guard with a pipe he was holding, said Corina Hopkins, Tacoma Police spokeswoman. As is routine, the case will be reviewed by the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office, she said.

Allard, a former military man, has worked for Pierce County Security "for a number of years," and it was customary for him to be armed, said the firm's owner, Glenn Weller.

The incident began about 11 p.m. when a witness reported that two men were seen climbing over a fence around the property, police said.

The warehouse is full of old machinery and heavy equipment, a place where thieves often steal copper and other scrap metals for resale, Hopkins said.

Allard confronted the men when he entered a small room, Weller said. He took them by surprise. The older man grabbed a metal pipe and charged the guard, and that's when Allard fired once, Hopkins said.