Man charged after allegedly setting clothes, ‘wet floor’ sign on fire in Tacoma Burger King

A man allegedly set his clothes and a “wet floor” sign on fire in a Tacoma Burger King on Wednesday.

Randall Galang, 34, was charged with arson in the first degree and burglary in the second degree after the incident, according to court documents from Pierce County.

Smoke fills Tacoma Burger King as officers try to get man out of bathroom

A Tacoma Police Department officer was dispatched to the Burger King on E Portland Ave. after reports that a man was refusing to leave the bathroom and had started a fire inside.

Tacoma Fire Department personnel had responded to an earlier call after the man said he could not stand, but he declined medical aid, court documents stated.

About 30 minutes after firefighters left, employees noticed smoke coming from underneath the bathroom door and called 911 again. They tried to put out the fire by pouring buckets of water underneath the door.

When the officer arrived, he saw smoke inside the Burger King lobby and smoke rapidly coming from underneath the men’s bathroom door. The fire alarm was also going off.

The officer took cover near the bathroom and tried to convince Galang to come out. He told Galang that the Burger King was closed and that he needed to come out of the bathroom.

The officer said he could hear Galang speaking from inside the bathroom but couldn’t make out what he was saying.

Additional officers arrived at the scene. They also tried to get Galang to leave the bathroom, but he reportedly refused, according to court documents.

Smoke continued to pour out from the bathroom, and an arrest team was formed to remove Galang from the bathroom.

Employees gave officers a key to unlock the door. After the door opened, officers saw Galang, an object burning on the bathroom floor, and a large amount of water on the floor.

Officers tried to get Galang to leave the bathroom, but he refused again, according to court documents.

“At one point, Galang stated, ‘Help me,’ or words to that effect,” court documents stated. “I advised Galang that I would help him and that he needed to exit the bathroom. Galang refused and began walking backward, moving farther into the bathroom.”

Man arrested after bathroom fire, booked into jail

Galang was eventually removed from the bathroom and into the lobby, where he allegedly continued to resist arrest. After a brief struggle, Galang was handcuffed.

Police found out Galang had used his clothing to start the fire. They also found shoes and an overturned trash can inside the bathroom, along with a red lighter in the corner and two uncapped hypodermic needles near the toilet and trash can.

An officer saw a burn mark on the bathroom floor, with additional burn marks extending up the wall. A “wet floor” sign near the entrance was also burned. According to an employee, Galang lit the sign on fire.

He was booked into Pierce County Jail on charges of arson and burglary.

Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.