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. As the two heavily armed men got into a gun battle with LAPD officers after the botched bank robbery in North Hollywood, the suspects fired armor-piercing bullets from fully automatic weapons. 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. About a dozen LAPD officers and several bystanders were injured during the shootout. [9] A subsequent search of their vehicleafter Phillips surrendered with a concealed weaponfound two semi-automatic rifles, two handguns, more than 1,600 rounds of 7.6239mm rifle ammunition, 1,200 rounds of 919mm Parabellum and .45 ACP handgun ammunition, radio scanners, smoke bombs, improvised explosive devices, body armor vests, and three different California license plates. The LAPD Museum has a pretty cool exhibit about the North Hollywood Bank robbery with all the same weapons, clothing, body armor, cars, etc. Phillips and Matasareanu were not your typical bank customers on this sunny Friday morning. They were also suspects in two armored car robberies. 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. We put our lives on the line. "[21] before he and Mtsreanu opened fire into the ceiling in an attempt to scare the approximately thirty bank staff and customers and to discourage resistance. Immediately escalating into a flurry of gunfire and panic, the LAPD began surrounding the bank, waiting for the perps to emerge. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. NORTH HOLLYWOOD >> LAPD Officer James Zboravan was two months and eight days out of the police academy when he faced a barrage of machine-gun fire, shot and wounded a bank robber and dove. While the robbers were still inside, additional North Hollywood division patrol and detective units arrived and took strategic positions at all four corners of the bank, establishing a perimeter around it. Larry Eugene Phillips, Jr. and Decebal Stefan Emilian "Emil" Mtsreanu, a.k.a. Two seasoned bank and armored car robbersLarry Eugene Phillips, Jr. and Emil Matasareanuplanned to spend a few minutes in the bank to steal about $300,000. Realizing how badly they were outgunned, some of the officers got rifles at nearby gun stores. The windows shattered. "[22] Additionally, the officers were pinned down by the heavy sprays of gunfire coming from the robbers, making it extremely difficult to attempt a head shot with their handguns. The Los Angeles officers who found themselves under a barrage of heavy machine-gun fire from the North Hollywood bank robbers quickly realized that their 9mm pistols and shotguns were ineffective against the armored gunmen. The blow that made Phillips turn his weapon on himself was when he was struck in the hand, rendering him unable to continue firing with any of his automatic weapons. 1 martie 1997. The shootout also left indelible marks on scores of cops and civilians, with many suffering depression, nightmares and flashbacks more typical of battle-scarred soldiers. The robbers forced assistant manager John Villigrana to open the vault. Phillips and Mtsreanudidnt know it, but they would change the face of America forever with the final 44 minutes of their lives. Their plan was beginning to fall apart, and the adrenaline partnered with the intense stress led the two men to unravel. For 44 thunderous minutes, they marched through a neighborhood under siege, spraying stores, homes and cars with 1,100 armor-piercing bullets, wounding 11 police officers and six bystanders. SWAT officers joined by sheriff's deputies using K-9s went door-to-door in search of possible additional suspects in the North Hollywood Shootout. And it was at the key shack that he dove atop Detective William Krulac and Officer Tracey Angeles as Phillips returned fire. Shootout!. If you look at the civilians who were injured, the policemen who were injured, the cars that were destroyed, it was amazing that nobody died., Request product info from top Police Body Armor companies. The citizens need to know were only human. "At 9:15 PST on February 28, 1997, the Bank of America branch in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California was robbed. The ensuing shootout [] Phillips and Mtsreanu had robbed at least two other banks using similar methods for entry past "bullet-proof" security doors, taking control of the entire bank, and firing weapons illegally modified to enable fully automatic fire. The two robbers entered the bank, ordered everyone to get on the floor, and opened fire into the ceiling to dissuade resistance. One witness described the weaponry as "army machinery." You must fight on.. 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. Additionally, each man had a watch sewn onto the back of one glove, in order to monitor their timing. In 1997, two bank robbers wearing body armour and wielding assault rifles attempted a heist at the Bank of America in North Hollywood before engaging in a lengthy gunfight with police, most of . Before leaving, the robbers locked the hostages in the bank vault. . By submitting your information, you agree to be contacted by the selected vendor(s) It's obviously a bit of a PR piece for the LAPD, but it also makes some really good points about the availability of assault weapons and the failings of the justice and political system in keeping crooks from getting them. No officers or bystanders were killed in. believing he might be a suspect from the robbery less . On the morning of February 28, 1997, after months of preparation that included extensive reconnoitering of their intended targetthe Bank of America branch located at 6600 Laurel Canyon BoulevardPhillips and Mtsreanu armed themselves with a semi-automatic HK-91 and several illegally converted weapons: two Norinco Type 56 S rifles, a fully automatic Norinco Type56 S-1, and a fully automatic Bushmaster XM15 Dissipator. On this day 25 years ago, two men attempted to rob a Bank of America in North Hollywood, California, and the incident is still considered one of the most violent shootouts in policing history. RCMP confirmed that the two dead robbers were Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie. At about 9:52 AM Phillips and Mtsreanu split up. Eleven officers and seven bystanders were injured . This was compounded by the fact that most of the LAPD officers' service pistols had insufficient range at longer distances, where most officers found themselves positioned relative to the bank entrance. LAPD officers armed with handguns and shotguns were no match for the two bank robbers toting assault rifles. I saw their faces. Mtsreanu, born in Timioara, Romania to parents who relocated to Los Angeles in 1974, was a qualified electrical engineer and ran a relatively unsuccessful computer repair business. As the two were attempting to leave the bank, Phillips fired numerous gunshots at the responding officers. Before entering, . Military veterans quickly recognized the telltale blat of the Russian-designed AK-47 assault rifle. In this Picture from History, we explore the notorious North Hollywood Shootout in California in 1997 and the LAPD's response. He recalled the detective saying of the AK-47 nightmare, I served in Vietnam. Of their nearly 4,000 rounds of ammo, many were armor-piercing. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. February 28, 1997, Los Angeles, California After a botched robbery at a Bank of America branch in North Hollywood, two robbers armed with fully automatic assault rifles and wearing full body armor fired more than 1,100 rounds as they battled police. Its not a macho thing. At 10:01 AM, February 28, 1997, a shootout between two heavily armed bank robbers and officers of the Los Angeles police department came to an end after more than 2,000 rounds were fired. [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. All rights reserved. [30] Officers across the street continued to shoot Phillips' body several times while he was on the ground. Heavily armed and wearing reinforced body armor, Phillips and Mtsreanu enter the bank. In addition, the jaws of bolt cutters cannot open anywhere near wide enough to cut conduit, especially of that size. Larry Phillips realized there was no hope left for him, so he took his Berretta to his chin and killed himself. In the end, the two left with $303,305 and three dye packs which later exploded, ruining the money they stole. Haynes and Officer Whitfield, who were both wounded and had only marginal cover behind trees across Laurel Canyon Blvd. [4] Following their training, the responding patrol officers directed their fire at the "center of mass", or torsos, of Mtsreanu and Phillips. It sounded like a war, like death, said Lopez, 58, who is now retired. The robbers attempted to flee the scene, Phillips on foot and Mtsreanu in their getaway vehicle, while continuing to exchange fire with the officers. Out back, their bullet-ridden getaway car, a destroyed LAPD black-and-white, and an armored car that helped rescue cops and civilians gathers crowds. I watched this on cable the other night and was very pleasantly surprised. In reality, this would be incredibly dangerous, not just from electrocution, but from arc flash. However, due to a change in the bank's delivery schedule, the vault contained significantly less than the $750,000 the gunmen had expected. To come up with this timeframe, Phillips had used a radio scanner to monitor police transmissions prior to the robbery. He quickly transferred all of his weapons and ammunition from the getaway car, but was unable to operate the Jeep due to the driver engaging the electrical kill switch before fleeing. SWAT officers were in downtown Los Angeles, about 18 minutes away, at a training exercise. [12][13], On June 14, 1995, Phillips and Mtsreanu ambushed a Brink's armored car in Winnetka, Los Angeles, killing one guard, Herman Cook, and seriously wounding another. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Sezonul 1. Miraculously, no civilians were injured. 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. Their weapons were completely ineffective against these guys and "Several officers acquired semi-automatic rifles from a nearby gun store to combat the robbers." By what name was 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out (2003) officially released in Canada in English? 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. The North Hollywood shootout is still vivid for those who suffered through it, and it has become part of the cultural lore of Los Angeles. ", San Bernardino County deputies to begin wearing body cameras, New Topgolf facility opens next to Montebello Golf Course, Snowfall reaches 15 feet in some areas of Yosemite National Park. 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. While Phillips continued to fire at officers, Matasareanu attempted to flee in a getaway car after he was shot several times in the bank's parking lot. Phillips was shot nearly a dozen times. One particular firearma short-barreled AR-15 with an aftermarket red dot sightwas later released from evidence for use by a law enforcement agency. According to LAPD, at least 12 officers and two bystanders were injured. At the Los Angeles Police Museum in Highland Park, the robbers stickup duds and guns are on display in what has proved to be its most popular exhibit. The plan went sideways when two LAPD patrol officers spotted them entering the bank. 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. and that the data you submit is exempt from Do Not Sell My Personal Information requests. The North Hollywood shootout was a confrontation between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mtsreanu, and members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, United States on February 28, 1997. DragonEye Tech: Leaders in LIDAR Speed Measurement, Get Curious Before Getting Furious: How Cynicism Impacts Behavior On Scene, More than 300 outgunned LEOs from five agencies, fighting for their lives, fired more than 550 rounds, By Dana Bartholomew [10] Initially charged with conspiracy to commit robbery,[11] both served 100 days in jail and were placed on three years of probation due to plea bargaining. Uncut footage of the North Hollywood Bank Shootout From a News Helicopter. For eight months, I didnt sleep during the night.. A golden retriever was shot in the nose while on the way to his vet. Both men had accumulated a stockpile of body armor, weapons, and ammunition which could sustain them through an hour-long shootout. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. The dye packs later exploded, ruining what money they did get. [4] As the two were walking in, they were spotted by two LAPD officers, Loren Farell and Martin Perello, who were driving down Laurel Canyon in a patrol car. Whos the doctor? On February 28, 1997, two bank robbers engaged in a shootout with dozens of Los Angeles police officers in what became known as the North Hollywood Bank of America Shootout. After a bystander reported the robbery to authorities, responding officers were met with a barrage of gunfire from Phillips as he casually walked out of the bank and into the parking lot. The locations used in the movie were the actual locations where the shootout took place, and this added immeasurably to the realism of the story. Before they were made of sheet metal that couldn't stop bullets. "[32] Later reports showed that Mtsreanu had been shot 29 times in the legs and died from trauma due to excessive blood loss from two gunshot wounds in his left thigh. "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. Emil Dechebal Matasareanu, 30, was a scraggly haired, 283-pound native of Romania who suffered painful seizures after being struck in the head by a mental patient at his mothers home-operated day-care center. It ended in a deadlocked jury, with the city ultimately agreeing to pay $50,000 in legal fees. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. The responding officers were carrying only pistols. South of the bank, Carlos Lemus, an employee of the Goodyear tire shop, was walking toward its ATM when he realized hed forgotten his billfold. [3] Combined, the two men had fired approximately 1,100 rounds in total, while approximately 650 rounds were fired by police. At the time LAPD officers were only equipped with Berretta M9FS 9mm handguns and S&W model 15 .38 revolvers which were no match for Phillips and Mtsreanus modified assault rifles. Outside, LAPD Officer Bill Lantz was five days out of the police academy when he and his training officer cowered behind their cruiser in the intersection. Zielenski fired 86 9mm rounds at Phillips and is believed have hit Phillips during their exchange. [4], Mtsreanu, enraged at this development, argued with Villigrana and demanded more. History Channel. According to Situation Critical, Mtsreanu, who was wearing the trauma plate, successfully survived a double-tap from aSWAT officer's AR-15. in North Hollywood. The light bar was shattered.. Larry Phillips and Emil Matasareanu opened fire on cops and bystanders after robbing a Bank of America in North Hollywood. ", Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Some SWAT members had been working out at the LAPD academy and arrived in gym shorts and bulletproof vests. 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]. 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout is a 2003 television film that dramatizes the events surrounding the infamous 1997 shootout between Los Angeles Police Department officers and two heavily armed bank robbers in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles. 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