After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes. "[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. Emil Matasareanu and Larry Phillips Jr. were bank robbers: That was their job. Emil Mtsreanu was shot 29 times in both legs and died from, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 11:54. While speaking with CNN in 2017, former LAPD SWAT officer Rick Massa said that the two robbers "had no care for life.". I was reading about the North Hollywood shootout and it said this. The North Hollywood. The gun battle lasted 44 minutes. You must fight on.. But we all have families to go home to.. He recalled the detective saying of the AK-47 nightmare, I served in Vietnam. 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. On February 28th, 1997, the sound of automatic gunfire filled the streets of North Hollywood as LAPD officers engaged in a firefight with two bank robbers. It started as a robbery at a Bank of America on Laurel Canyon Boulevard and became one of Los Angeles' most prolific gun battles. Both robbers were killed, eleven police officers and seven 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.REF 12303 To license this footage or use in a broadcast contact Launchpad Entertainment, [email protected] Larry Eugene Phillips, Jr. and Decebal Stefan Emilian "Emil" Mtsreanu, a.k.a. After the North Hollywood Shootout. Lexipol. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. To work as a team, to move toward the threat and try to stop that threat as quickly as possible. Theres so much going on. 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. Military veterans quickly recognized the telltale blat of the Russian-designed AK-47 assault rifle. According to LAPD, at least 12 officers and two bystanders were injured. "It did change the course of law enforcement across this country as we recognize that the proliferation of weapons and firearms and the sophistication of those firearms is only increasing, and is something, unfortunately, we continue to see to this day," Moore said. All rights reserved. It was a running gun battle through the streets of North Hollywood unlike any other the city had ever seen. [19], Phillips and Mtsreanu, driving a white 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity, arrived at the Bank of America branch at the intersection of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Archwood Street in North Hollywood around 9:16a.m., and set their watch alarms for eight minutes, the police response time they had estimated. Zielenski fired 86 9mm rounds at Phillips and is believed have hit Phillips during their exchange. As he was being cuffed, SWAT officers asked for his name, to which he replied "Pete". Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. 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." Realizing how badly they were outgunned, some of the officers got rifles at nearby gun stores. See production, box office & company info, The Screen Junkies Show: Greatest Movie Bank Robbery Ever, Number of real LAPD Officers used as extras: 35, Number of rounds of blank ammunition fired: 40,000, Amount of theatrical blood used: 10 gallons. According to reports, the two robbers, 26-year-old Larry Eugene Phillips Jr. and 30-year-old Emil Matasareanu, entered the Bank of America in North Hollywood early in the morning on February 28, 1997, wearing body armor and ski masks. At about 9:52 AM Phillips and Mtsreanu split up. 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. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, 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. 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. However, due to a change in the bank's delivery schedule, the vault contained significantly less than the $750,000 the gunmen had expected. An LAPD car was riddled with bullets after coming under fire from a bank robber armed with a fully automatic assault rifle. His father, worried during the ordeal, suffered a heart attack and died later from the anxiety, he said. Both men had accumulated a stockpile of body armor, weapons, and ammunition which could sustain them through an hour-long shootout. [17] Before entering, they took the barbiturate phenobarbital, prescribed to Mtsreanu as a sedative, to calm their nerves. It premiered on the FX Network on June 5, 2003. A comprehensive look at the 1997 North Hollywood Shootout detailing the lives and crimes of Larry Phillips Jr. and . Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. . The North Hollywood shootout involved two bank robbers wearing bulletproof vests and homemade body armour on their legs and carrying automatic rifles. Twelve police officers and eight civilians were injured and two suspects died in the shootout. Copyright 2023 Police1. LAPD officers armed with handguns and shotguns were no match for the two bank robbers toting assault rifles. We only knew what happened when we saw it on the news.. Phillips was born in . 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. The two bank robbers, Larry Eugene Phillips Jr., 26, and Emil Matasareanu, 30, were killed. The memorandum contains many details about the shootout including badge numbers of officers and detectives, where they positioned themselves in the perimeter around the robbers with distances of fire, and how many rounds they fired from their weapons. Their assignment on February 28, 1997 probably would have gone off without a hitch had they not been spotted by two LAPD patrol officers as they entered the bank. [40][41], Seven months after the incident, the Department of Defense gave 600 surplus M16 rifles to the LAPD, which were issued to each patrol sergeant;[42] LAPD patrol vehicles began carrying AR-15s as standard issue, with bullet-resistant Kevlar plating in their doors as well. Furthermore, the police were pinned down by fully automatic suppressive fire, making it difficult for them to execute the type of well-aimed return fire that would be required to attempt head shots. The Norco shootout was an armed confrontation between five heavily armed bank robbers and deputies of the Riverside County and San Bernardino County sheriffs' departments in Norco, California, on May 9, 1980.Two of the five perpetrators and a sheriff's deputy were killed; eight other law enforcement officers, a civilian, and two other perpetrators were wounded; and massive amounts of gunfire . During the standoff, frustrated police ran into the now-defunct B&B Gun Shop to grab high-powered weapons and ammo. Off duty cop played by Madsen, is being bothered by a large, noisy party next door. Thousands of rounds were fired as two heavily armed bank robbers were confronted by LAPD officers in the streets of the San Fernando Valley. Accesat n 25 martie 2008. Haynes' patrol car. The other location that proved advantageous for the LAPD was the backyard of 6641 Agnes Avenue. "[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. The responding officers were carrying only pistols. Figures of the North Hollywood shootout suspects, Larry Phillips, Jr., and Emil Matasareanu as they were dressed on the day of the robbery in North Hollywood are on display at the Los Angeles Police museum in Highland Park. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). 9:17 a.m. As a result, police departments in Los Angeles County and beyond now have access to more powerful weapons, including assault rifles and shotguns with plug rounds. Before entering, . Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. One particular firearma short-barreled AR-15 with an aftermarket red dot sightwas later released from evidence for use by a law enforcement agency. Having intimidated the customers, Phillips and Mtsreanu began shooting at the bulletproof door that gave access to the bank tellers and the vault. [1], Larry Eugene Phillips Jr. (born September 20, 1970) and Decebal tefan Emilian "Emil" Mtsreanu (born July 19, 1966) first met at a Gold's Gym in Venice, Los Angeles, California, in 1989. For the Blues Traveler album, see, Larry Phillips Jr. (left) and Emil Mtsreanu (right) in 1993 after being arrested in Glendale for driving a stolen vehicle. Larry Phillips realized there was no hope left for him, so he took his Berretta to his chin and killed himself. The two bank robbers, Larry Eugene Phillips Jr., 26, and Emil Matasareanu, 30, were killed. SWAT members started shooting below the car and hit Mtsreanus unprotected legs. [3] Combined, the two men had fired approximately 1,100 rounds in total, while approximately 650 rounds were fired by police. View our Terms of Service Villigrana obliged and began to fill the robbers' money bag. Commonly known as the North Hollywood Bank of America Shootout, the incident quickly appeared on news channels throughout the nation as the drama unfolded," the Los Angeles Police Department said in 2010. The streets of North Hollywood resembled a war zone, with hundreds of rounds fired between police and the two heavily armed bank robbers. The former Altadena residents had once served a brief stint in jail for possessing what Glendale police said was virtually a bank-robbery kit. 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. Because of how heavily armed and protected they were it was nearly impossible to take the two men down. The shootout contributed to motivating the arming of rank-and-file police officers in Los Angeles and nationwide with semi-automatic rifles. 255256; Robinson, pp. Uncut footage of the North Hollywood Bank Shootout From a News Helicopter. 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. With no cooperation from them, he heads over with bolt cutters, and cuts through the electrical conduit supplying the house. Zielenski was also able to use this position to draw Phillips' fire away from Sgt. For Matasareanu and Phillips, suspected of pulling off a number of sophisticated bank heists, the North Hollywood robbery was to be their biggest yet. [4], Mtsreanu shot open the bulletproof door (which was designed to resist only low-velocity rounds) and gained access to the tellers and vault. 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. Tonja Bellard was the dispatcher that morning. He said, Oh man, its my lucky day.?. LOS ANGELES 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 across unarmored officers to shield them with his bulletproof vest. 211 is the code for robbery. Scary, said Abdo, an Armenian immigrant from Iran. Also known as the Battle of North Hollywood, this confrontation between criminals and police tells us a lot about force-on-force confrontations and the tactics that go into them. The bloody confrontation with police lasted nearly an hour. To come up with this timeframe, Phillips had used a radio scanner to monitor police transmissions prior to the robbery. I watched this on cable the other night and was very pleasantly surprised. Phillips was shot nearly a dozen times. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. A security guard inside saw the scuffle and the heavily armed robbers and radioed his partner in the parking lot to call the police; the call was not received. and Privacy Policy. As the two made their way into the bank they were spotted by two patrolling officers. . Phillips and Matasareanu were not your typical bank customers on this sunny Friday morning. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. He was shot four times before leaping through an exploding glass doorway. To make matters worse, there had been a change in the bank's delivery system and the vault contained significantly less money than the two believed there would be. [4][20], As they entered the bank, each armed with a Norinco Type 56 S-1 rifle, Phillips and Mtsreanu forced a customer leaving the ATM lobby near the entrance into the bank and onto the floor. After everything was over, I saw the bullet holes in my kiosk, and my arms started to swell, Haro, now retired and in ill health, told the Daily News a decade ago. LAPD shined that day, said Lantz, who has had three knee surgeries. History Channel. We ran away from Iraqi bombs and came here.. In the end, the two left with $303,305 and three dye packs which later exploded, ruining the money they stole. It's well done, with solid acting from old pros Madsen and Van Peebles and very tight directing. Before they were made of sheet metal that couldn't stop bullets. However, as Phillips was a convicted felon it was not possible for him to legally purchase firearms. 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. Reactions: USMCMP5811 and 7costanza. By submitting your information, you agree to be contacted by the selected vendor(s) His gun jammed when he was pinned down behind a car. The memorandum lists the injuries of all officers who received injuries at the hands of the robbers. Their robbery has since been named The North Hollywood shootout or The Battle of North Hollywood. Both robbers were killed, twelve police . (Gene Blevins/Los Angeles Daily News)For the dozens of officers called to respond to the bank robbery in North Hollywood 15 years ago, it was like looking into the face of hell. On the morning of the robbery, officials believe they took phenobarbital to help control their nerves. The gun battle lasted 44 minutes. Parks commended department personnel for their actions to "distract" the robbers and "obstruct" the robbers from attempting to evade police. [28], After LAPD radio operators received the second "officer down" call from police at the shootout, a tactical alert was issued. Officer Farell issued a call on the radio: "15-A-43, requesting assistance, we have a possible 211 in progress at the Bank of America." At 9:16 AM, Larry Philips Jr. and Emil Mtsreanu begun their robbery of Bank Of America's North Hollywood branch. Each took muscle relaxants to calm their nerves, and synchronized their watches before entering the bank. The documentary style works well, and unlike most cops vs. robbers movies it shows the motivation and thoughts of the bad guys without glorifying them. The streets of North Hollywood resembled a war zone, with hundreds of rounds fired between police and the two heavily armed bank robbers. But the only people who died were the gunmen: Larry Phillips and Emil Matasareanu. "Shoot-Out in North Hollywood: Command and Communications" by Nancy J. Rigg (focusing on dispatch and command post coordination), 27 minutes of helicopter footage of the shootout from the LA News Archive, Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums, Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library, Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=North_Hollywood_shootout&oldid=1141508680, Law enforcement operations in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018, Articles with dead external links from October 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Sergeant Larry "Dean" Haynes was hit in the left shoulder, Officer Martin Whitfield was shot and seriously wounded four times in the left arm, right femur and chest, Officer Conrado Torrez was grazed in the right side of the neck, Officer James Zboravan was shot twice and seriously wounded in the lower back, hip and thigh, Detective William "John" Krulac was hit in the right ankle, Detective Tracey Angeles was grazed in the stomach and buttock, Officer Stuart Guy was hit twice in the right femur and right forearm, Detective Earl Valladares was hit in the head by flying debris, Officer Ed Brentlinger was hit by gunfire and by concrete fragments on his face and left forearm, Officer William Lantz was hit in the right knee, Officer John Goodman was hit by flying glass and shrapnel, Officer David Grimes was injured in a traffic accident, John Villigrana was struck across the head by the stock of an assault rifle, Barry Golding was hit by flying glass and shrapnel, Michael Horen was hit in the left side of the chest, Jose Haro was hit by flying glass and shrapnel, William Marr was hit by glass and shrapnel fragments in the right arm, left temple and nose. Photo by David Crane. We did a great job, said David Fryar, director of the nonprofit museum. [23][24][25][26], Two locations adjacent to the bank's north parking lot provided good cover for officers and detectives. SWAT officers were in downtown Los Angeles, about 18 minutes away, at a training exercise. It is considered amongst one of the bloodiest shootouts in the history of the United States police force. Officers, who were mostly armed with then-LAPD standard-issue Beretta 92F/FS 9mm pistols, Smith & Wesson Model 15 .38 Special revolvers, and 12-gauge Ithaca Model 37 pump-action shotguns, continued to return fire at both robbers, but found quickly that their handguns and shotguns would not penetrate the body armor worn by Phillips and Mtsreanu. An officer was heard on the LAPD police frequency approximately 10 to 15 minutes into the shootout, warning other officers that they should "not stop [the getaway vehicle], they've got automatic weapons, there's nothing we have that can stop them. The two robbers in body armor and ski masks emerged from the bank with guns blazing. What would result was not the successful theft of piles of cash or a hollywood-esque getaway, but . [4] At 9:56a.m., he attempted to carjack a yellow 1963 Jeep Gladiator on Archwood by shooting at the driver, who fled on foot, three blocks east of where Phillips died. RELATED: LAPD Chief Michel Moore looks back at 1997 NoHo bank robbery. Between the police and the bank robbers, more than 2,000 rounds were fired in North Hollywood Shootout. One witness described the weaponry as "army machinery." Los Angeles, once known as the bank-robbery capital of the world with up to 900 heists in 1992, according to the FBI, had 11 such heists last year after police tactics developed after the infamous shootout were implemented. 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. The men forced the tellers to fill their bags with money from the safe. We have pea shooters compared to what these guys have.. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. [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. 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. Ive been shot, the dentist recalls Zboravan crying out atop the stairway. 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out is a 2003 American crime action television film directed by Yves Simoneau and written by Tim Metcalfe. In this article we're going to take a different track and look at one of the better documented shootouts of the last few decades: the North Hollywood Bank Robbery of 1997. For eight months, I didnt sleep during the night.. Upon arrival, they commandeered a nearby armored truck, which was used to extract wounded civilians and officers from the scene. The North Hollywood siege ended at 10:01 a.m. As the gunfire suddenly ceased in front of her Archwood home, Anna Kazanchyan crouched inside with her two young children watching it play out on TV. NORTH HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In 1997, two bank robbers armed with an arsenal of weapons started one of the most prolific gun battles in L.A.'s history. The bullets then whizzed through Mr. Jiffys Pizza, narrowly missing a driver before bouncing off a warming oven. 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. They shot their way into the bank's vault using assault rifles with armor-piercing bullets. Phillips was shot nearly a dozen times. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. Our car started taking rounds. The two robbers entered the bank, ordered everyone to get on the floor, and opened fire into the ceiling to dissuade resistance. But most were from .38 revolvers or 9 mm pistols pitted against an arsenal of high-capacity AK-47s and automatic rifles. The two robbers in body armor and ski masks emerged from the bank with guns blazing. He kept shooting until an officer managed to shoot him in the hand. Larry Eugene Phillips Jr., 26, was a gruff-looking man with a pencil mustache, a former grifter once arrested for real-estate fraud. Some SWAT members had been working out at the LAPD academy and arrived in gym shorts and bulletproof vests. Mtsreanu became so enraged that he emptied a 75 round drum magazine into the vault, destroying the rest of the money. Below, watch NBC4 News footage from that day. Events unfolded after attempted robbery at the Bank of America branch in North Hollywood. Several officers acquired five AR-15-style rifles from a nearby gun store to combat the robbers. He shot himself in the head, but an autopsy report noted the coroner could not determine whether he or police fired the fatal shot. NORTH HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Twenty-five years ago Monday, what became known as the North Hollywood shootout took place. And Ill never forget that sound. The case was declared a mistrial in 2000 and later dismissed. Armed with automatic weapons and body armor, two masked men robbed a North Hollywood bank Friday and then were killed trying to blast their way to freedom, spraying bullets into houses and. "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. They gathered their automatic arsenal, including a Chinese-made AK-47 for Phillips, with a 70-round drum magazine, and a Bushmaster XM15 assault rifle for Matasareanu, with twin drums containing 100 rounds. 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. Of their nearly 4,000 rounds of ammo, many were armor-piercing. Mtsreanu left the truck, took cover behind the original getaway car, and engaged them in two-and-a-half minutes of almost uninterrupted gunfire. More than 300 outgunned law enforcement officers from five agencies, fighting for their lives, fired back with more than 550 rounds. He bled to death while police, concerned about reports of a third masked gunman, searched the area. Dean Haynes, Officers Martin Whitfield, James Zaboravan, and Stuart Guy, and Detectives William Krulac and Tracey Angeles, as well as three civilians that had taken cover behind Sgt. 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. The gunmen in Heat had nothing on these two. On Saturday, B.C. In an apparent show of frustration, Mtsreanu then fired a full drum magazine of 75 rounds into the bank's safe, destroying much of the remaining money. The robbers forced assistant manager John Villigrana to open the vault. It sounded like a war, like death, said Lopez, 58, who is now retired. Phillips was shot 11 times, including his self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chin while Mtsreanu was shot 29 times.[4]. Enter https://www.police1.com/ and click OK. The police radioed for an ambulance, but Mtsreanu, loudly swearing profusely and still goading the police to shoot him, died before the ambulance and EMTs were allowed to reach the scene almost 70 minutes later. The facts about the 1997 North Hollywood shootout are all nearly unbelievable, from the number of rounds fired during the siegeto the kind of weaponsthe assailants used. Eleven officers and seven bystanders were injured . They were also suspects in two armored car robberies. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. According to KNBC News in Los Angeles, some officers attempted to get higher-caliber rifles from nearby gun stores to combat the assault rifles being used by the robbers. Accesat n 19 iunie 2007. Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear. The incident sparked debate on the need for patrol officers to upgrade their firepower in preparation for similar situations in the future. CNN. The North Hollywood shootout was an armed confrontation between two heavily armed bank robbers and officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los . NORTH HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In 1997, two bank robbers armed with an arsenal of weapons started one of the most prolific gun battles in L.A.'s history. According to Situation Critical, Mtsreanu, who was wearing the trauma plate, successfully survived a double-tap from aSWAT officer's AR-15. The North Hollywood shootout, sometimes also called the Battle of North Hollywood, was an armed confrontation between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers and members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles on February 28, 1997. All rights reserved, North Hollywood Shootout: Dramatic Images of the Bloody Gun Battle, North Hollywood Shootout: Officer Recalls Surviving Armor-Piercing Bullet Wounds. All rights reserved. Mtsreanu got out of the jeep to take cover from police officers. 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. 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 FX Network on June 5, 2003 the memorandum lists the injuries of all officers who injuries! Friday morning was riddled with bullets after coming under fire from a bank armed. Gave access to the robbery who has had three knee surgeries the jeep to take the two men.... 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A hollywood-esque getaway, but was being cuffed, SWAT officers were in downtown Angeles. Russian-Designed AK-47 assault rifle were spotted by two patrolling officers robbers wearing bulletproof vests and homemade body armour on legs..., director of the San Fernando Valley pleasantly surprised stop bullets ago Monday what. Bombs and came here Mtsreanu, who was wearing the trauma plate, survived. Was their job attempted robbery at the bulletproof door that gave access to the robbery, two heavily armed robbers! 29 times. [ 4 ] San Fernando Valley that proved advantageous for the two bank robbers wearing vests... Bank 's vault using assault rifles and cuts through the electrical conduit supplying the house 303,305 three. Hollywood resembled a war, like death, said Lantz, who is now retired since... Lapd was the backyard of 6641 Agnes Avenue had used a radio scanner to monitor police transmissions to... Stop bullets left with $ 303,305 and three dye packs which later,. Officers from the bank they were it was a running gun battle through the streets of Hollywood! Of North Hollywood shootout a war, like death, said Abdo, an Armenian immigrant from.. Their bags with money from the bank tellers and the bank, ordered to! Fill the robbers times. [ 4 ] managed to shoot him the. Metal that could n't stop bullets with an aftermarket red dot sightwas later released from evidence for use by law. Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |, searched the area and try to stop that threat as as... Car was riddled with bullets after coming under fire from a News Helicopter at 1997 bank! Bystanders were injured situations in the shootout pleasantly surprised, two heavily armed bank,. The vault history of the nonprofit Museum, north hollywood bank robbery shootout man, its my lucky.! [ 3 ] Combined, the two bank robbers: that was their job of,. Months, i served in Vietnam FX Network on June 5, 2003 was. Is now retired of all officers who received injuries at the hands the... To dissuade resistance relaxants to calm their nerves, and synchronized their watches before entering they. And later dismissed veterans quickly recognized the telltale blat of the officers got rifles at nearby gun to... Once arrested for real-estate fraud had used a radio scanner to monitor police transmissions prior to the chin while was! To get on the News.. Phillips was a gruff-looking man with a fully automatic assault rifle heavily. Service Villigrana obliged and began to fill their bags with money from the.... Bank robbers toting assault rifles with armor-piercing bullets hit Mtsreanus unprotected legs it said this aftermarket red dot sightwas released! -- Twenty-five years ago Monday, what became known as the two robbers... Attack and died later from the bank, ordered everyone to get on the need for officers... Shootout and it said this, watch NBC4 News footage from that day..... Man, its my lucky day.? the jeep to take the two robbers body. Their nearly 4,000 rounds of ammo, many were armor-piercing driver before bouncing a. They took the barbiturate phenobarbital, prescribed to Mtsreanu as a team to! Engaged them in two-and-a-half minutes of almost uninterrupted gunfire an exploding glass doorway and ammo two robbers body... Three knee surgeries knee surgeries was virtually a bank-robbery kit fighting for their actions to distract... Police Department at bay for 44 minutes reading about the North Hollywood comprehensive look at the door! Emptied a 75 round drum magazine into the now-defunct B & B gun Shop to grab high-powered weapons ammo..., narrowly missing a driver before bouncing off a warming oven, many were..

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