Tacoma Police Department, Washington
End of Watch: Thursday, August 28, 1997
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 18 years
Badge Number: 061
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 28, 1997
Weapon Used: Rifle; SKS
Suspect Info: Sentence to life
Officer Lowry was shot and killed after the Tacoma SWAT Team responded to a domestic violence case in which the suspect was holding two children in the house. The suspect had been let go by another department earlier in the day after being confronted by officers because he had shot the illegally modified SKS in which he used later in the day. The guns were not confiscated by the other department. He then drove to his wife's home where the incident took place.
While the Tacoma SWAT Team surrounded the house the suspect exited it and after a brief verbal confrontation he was shot with an Arwen (a non-lethal weapon) and fell into his doorway. Upon falling the four SWAT officers who were talking with him rushed him to cuff him. The suspect crawled into his house and picked up his weapon at which time he turned and opened fire from a kneeling position. Officer Lowry was struck once in the chest with the bullet penetrating his vest. The bullet then exited his body and struck another officer. Officer Lowry was extricated and pronounced dead at the hospital.
The suspect was struck once and will be paralyzed from the chest down. He gave up and was taken into custody approximately four hours later. The suspect was found guilty of first-degree murder on March 11, 1999, and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Officer Lowry had served with the Tacoma Police Department for 18 years.