The real-life gunbattle then inspired made-for-TV documentaries and movies. Captain Johnny Starling of the California Highway Patrol West Valley division told CNN in 2017 that his officers now have AR-15s in their vehicles, and he said, "Even our patrol cars have Kevlar side panels. It is believed that both men had participated in bank heists before. [4], It was speculated during news reports that Phillips had legally purchased two of the Norinco Type 56s and then illegally converted them to full automatic. He kept shooting until an officer managed to shoot him in the hand. What would result was not the successful theft of piles of cash or a hollywood-esque getaway, but . In reality, this would be incredibly dangerous, not just from electrocution, but from arc flash. After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes. His father, worried during the ordeal, suffered a heart attack and died later from the anxiety, he said. [12] After their release, most of their seized property was returned to them, except for the confiscated firearms and explosives. The dye packs later exploded, ruining what money they did get. Unable to clear the jam, he dropped the rifle and drew a Beretta 92FS pistol, which he began firing. The robbers allegedly filled a jam jar with gasoline and placed it in the back seat with the intention of setting the car and weapons on fire to destroy evidence after the robbery. Coming from Duncan. Forty-four minutes later, hundreds of rounds had been fired by the robbers carrying high-powered rifles and LAPD officers, most of whom were armed only with their handguns. That means, from the beginning of the siege, no one stopped firing their weapons until Phillips and Mtsreanuwere dead. Realizing how badly they were outgunned, some of the officers got rifles at nearby gun stores. Phenobarbital is mentioned as having been in their blood. On the morning of February 28, 1997, two heavily armed men wearing body armor burst into a Bank of America branch, took a little more than $300,000 and fired their way out. Whos the doctor? Stars: Jesse Metcalfe, Michael Madsen, Ron Livingston, Francis Capra, Mario Van Peebles, Katrina Law, JE Freeman, Cameron Dye, Clare Carey, Oleg Taktarov, Jay Underwood, Douglas Spain, Dale Dye, Andrew Bryniarski, Alex Meneses, Ray Baker, Jullian Dulce Vida, Jerry . We put on these badges to help them. The robbers wore homemade body armor which successfully protected them from handgun rounds and shotgun pellets fired by the responding officers. Phillips briefly retreated inside, then reemerged through the north doorway, while Mtsreanu exited through the south exit. . Sezonul 1. [4] Forgetting my wallet was the luckiest thing I ever did, said Lemus, 59, who still works at Mountain View Tire. [citation needed], Mtsreanu's vehicle was rendered inoperable after two of its tires were shot out and the windshield covered in bullet holes. After firing a few more shots with one arm, Phillips discarded the HK-91 and retrieved the Norinco Type 56 before exiting the parking lot and retreating onto the street while Mtsreanu drove down the road. Shoot me in the head! The High Incident Bandits' plan went belly-up the moment it began, thanks to the fact that they were spotted by two officers who were on a morning patrol and thought there was something fishy about two grown men wearing body armor,ski masks, and the arsenal of a small armywhile entering a bank. The two men were later tied to two San Fernando Valley bank heists netting $1.67 million, as well as an armored truck robbery in which a guard was killed. The LAPD Museum has a pretty cool exhibit about the North Hollywood Bank robbery with all the same weapons, clothing, body armor, cars, etc. Shootout!. Uncut footage of the North Hollywood Bank Shootout From a News Helicopter. They didn't care," Massa told CNN. After retrieving it, he placed the muzzle under his chin and fired. The Shootout The streets of North Hollywood resembled a war zone, with hundreds of rounds fired between police and the two heavily armed bank robbers. All rights reserved. The North Hollywood shootout was a confrontation between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mtsreanu, and members of . One of the most violent days in LAPD history unfolded on live television on Feb. 28, 1997 when two bank robbers wearing body armor and wielding assault rifles engaged in a ferocious gunfight with officers on the streets of North Hollywood. [28], After LAPD radio operators received the second "officer down" call from police at the shootout, a tactical alert was issued. It's well done, with solid acting from old pros Madsen and Van Peebles and very tight directing. But the only people who died were the gunmen: Larry Phillips and Emil Matasareanu. LAPD Chief Michel Moore was one of the first responders to the scene. Thousands of rounds were fired as two heavily armed bank robbers were confronted by LAPD officers in the streets of the San Fernando Valley. 1997 bank robbery and subsequent shootout between bank robbers and police, This article is about the real-life incident. [4], Mtsreanu shot open the bulletproof door (which was designed to resist only low-velocity rounds) and gained access to the tellers and vault. The robbers were armed with thousands of rounds of ammunition, custom fitted body armor and weapons altered to be fully automatic assault rifles. Larry Phillips and Emil Matasareanu opened fire on cops and bystanders after robbing a Bank of America in North Hollywood. When his gun jammed and he was no longer able to advance, he shot himself. The SWAT team (Donnie Anderson, Steve Gomez, Peter Weireter, and Richard Massa) arrived 18 minutes after the shooting had begun. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. Anderson fired his AR-15 below the cars and wounded Mtsreanu in his unprotected lower legs; he was soon unable to continue and put his hands up to show surrender. Phillips wore roughly 40 pounds (18kg) of equipment, including a Type IIIA bulletproof vest and groin guard; a load bearing vest with multiple military ammo pouches; and several pieces of homemade body armor created from spare vests, covering his shins, thighs, and forearms. Their actions would in turn change American policing forever. Both robbers were killed, twelve police officers and eight civilians were injured, and numerous vehicles and other property were damaged or destroyed by the nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition fired by the robbers and police.[1]. Soon the robbers realized that there was less money than they had expected because of a change in the bank delivery schedule. Eleven officers were wounded, but none. Two police officers on patrol saw them enter the bank wearing ski masks and body armor, and carrying military grade rifles. The other location that proved advantageous for the LAPD was the backyard of 6641 Agnes Avenue. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. "The High Incident Bandits", were a pair of murderous bank robbers and cop killers famous for perpetrating a deadly shootout with Los Angeles officers after robbing a bank on February 28, 1997. The two robbers in body armor and ski masks emerged from the bank with guns blazing. [13][15] The pair were dubbed the "High Incident Bandits" by investigators due to the weaponry they had used in three robberies prior to their attempt in North Hollywood.[4]. . in North Hollywood. While speaking with CNN in 2017, former LAPD SWAT officer Rick Massa said that the two robbers "had no care for life.". [4], Outside, the first-responding officers heard the gunfire within the bank and made another radio call reporting "shots fired" before taking cover behind their patrol car. Prior to 1997, only LAPD SWAT officers were authorized to carry .45 ACP caliber pistols, specifically the M1911A1 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol. You fall back on your training the best in the world, recalled Zboravan, an award-winning sergeant now serving as an assistant watch commander at Northeast Division. Larry Eugene Phillips, Jr. and Decebal Stefan Emilian "Emil" Mtsreanu, a.k.a. They shot their way into the bank's vault using assault rifles with armor-piercing bullets. No officers or bystanders were killed in. They were armed with AR-15s, and wore running shoes and shorts under their body armor, as they had been on an exercise run when they received the call. The citizens need to know were only human. "Feb. 28, 1997, is a date that will forever be etched in the annals of LAPD history as one of the most violent encounters Department officers ever endured. The two robbers entered the bank, ordered everyone to get on the floor, and opened fire into the ceiling to dissuade resistance. It started as a robbery at a Bank of America on Laurel Canyon Boulevard and became one of Los Angeles' most prolific gun battles. All rights reserved. On Friday, February 28th, 1997 the Los Angeles Police Department would face one of the most dangerous criminal acts in its history - The North Hollywood Bank Shootout. Events unfolded after attempted robbery at the Bank of America branch in North Hollywood. Parks commended department personnel for their actions to "distract" the robbers and "obstruct" the robbers from attempting to evade police. I saw their faces. As the two were attempting to leave the bank, Phillips fired numerous gunshots at the responding officers. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. At about 9:52 AM Phillips and Mtsreanu split up. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. No officers or bystanders were killed in. Either bullet may have been fatal. According to a National Geographic docuseries,Situation Critical, Mtsreanu was so upset about this development that he fired nearly 100 rounds into the vault, destroying whatever money remained. The robbers, clad in cut-up Kevlar, emptied their clips, sending hot rounds through concrete walls, iron fences, dozens of cars and through the walls of a nearby ice cream parlor and pizza joint. During a later lawsuit against retired policemen John Futrell and James Vojtecky and the city, jurors heard testimony that involved an ambulance crew that arrived but left without Mtsreanu after Vojtecky allegedly told the crew to "get the (expletive) out of here." Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. According to LAPD, at least 12 officers and two bystanders were injured. After the incident, the LAPD realized that their 9mm handguns were not going to suffice if there was a similar circumstance in the future, so they received 600 M-16 military rifles from the Pentagon. LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- A blaze of automatic gunfire ripped through a crowded neighborhood after several heavily-armed gunmen dressed like commandos botched a bank robbery. It is considered amongst one of the bloodiest shootouts in the history of the United States police force. Their weapons were completely ineffective against these guys and "Several officers acquired semi-automatic rifles from a nearby gun store to combat the robbers." To work as a team, to move toward the threat and try to stop that threat as quickly as possible. The case was declared a mistrial in 2000 and later dismissed. 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