Playground supervisor honored for keeping gunman away from students

Playground supervisor Gary Smith had seconds to react when he spotted Tacoma police chasing a crime suspect headed for the grounds of Stanley Elementary School in the Hilltop neighborhood.

Smith said the fourth- and fifth-graders were coming outside to recess, while third-graders were headed back inside after finishing their outdoor play.

“I saw a gentleman on a bike and thought ‘What’s he doing?’ Then I saw a police car with lights on,” Smith recalled.

Smith watched as the man fell off his bike and began limping toward the kids. He sent all the children back inside and radioed the main office to put the school into lockdown.

Smith positioned himself between the suspect and the kids who were still filing back into school.

He watched the man throw down an object that he assumed was a cellphone.

It turned out to be a gun. Police captured the suspect.

The incident occurred Nov. 3, and Smith was recognized for his quick thinking at this week’s meeting of the Tacoma School Board.

Smith said the kids’ ability to follow simple instructions made the difference. It’s something they practice often, says Stanley Principal Cindy Johnson.

“We do weekly drills with children,” she said at Monday’s meeting, noting that Smith has played a key role in those drills.

Smith is a former Marine who also has worked in corporate security and currently serves as night manager at Cedarbrook Lodge in SeaTac. His fourth-grade son, Phillip, attends Stanley.

Smith started working at the school in August 2014. His wife, Patience, also works there as a paraeducator.

“Simple instructions save lives,” he said.

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Playground supervisor honored for keeping gunman away from students."