north hollywood bank robbery shootout

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. I was reading about the North Hollywood shootout and it said this. They entered the Bank of America at. 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. 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. During the trial, Vojtecky testified he said something similar. Each took muscle relaxants to calm their nerves, and synchronized their watches before entering the bank. Dr. Jorge O. Montes, who would receive an award, risked his life to treat the wounded cops. 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. READ ALSO | LAPD Chief Michel Moore looks back at 1997 NoHo bank robbery, 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. [4] Following their training, the responding patrol officers directed their fire at the "center of mass", or torsos, of Mtsreanu and Phillips. The case was declared a mistrial in 2000 and later dismissed. "At 9:15 PST on February 28, 1997, the Bank of America branch in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California was robbed. 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. LAPD Chief Michel Moore was one of the first responders to the scene. . Phillips walked down Archwood Street, continuing his gunbattle with police. Emil Mtsreanu tried to surrender, but eventually died of trauma and blood loss. In "True Crime: The North. Realizing how badly they were outgunned, some of the officers got rifles at nearby gun stores. The Argentine immigrant then sprinted to a nearby cleaners, where he pulled a woman to safety just as bullets shattered a window. The pair, drawn together by a love of weight-lifting and weapons, had planned for months, assembling the body armor and reinforcing it over vital organs. When asked if there were any more suspects, he reportedly said, "Fuck you! The two robbers in body armor and ski masks emerged from the bank with guns blazing. It was all broadcasted live on TV and forever changed the course of policing. When his gun jammed and he was no longer able to advance, he shot himself. The windows shattered. North Hollywood Bank Shootout_February 28, 1997 LA News Archive 10K subscribers 4.7M views 9 years ago Raw footage from the North Hollywood Bank Shootout. 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. SWAT members started shooting below the car and hit Mtsreanus unprotected legs. [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. It's alreadystaggering that nearly2,000 rounds of ammunition were fired in just 44 minutes, but what takes this over the top is that 1,100 of those rounds were fired by just two people: the perpetrators, Larry Phillips Jr.and Emil Mtsreanu. [30] Officers across the street continued to shoot Phillips' body several times while he was on the ground. 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. SWAT officers were in downtown Los Angeles, about 18 minutes away, at a training exercise. Larry Eugene Phillips, Jr. and Decebal Stefan Emilian "Emil" Mtsreanu, a.k.a. 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. For eight months, I didnt sleep during the night.. One seriously wounded officer who later quit the force to become a minister said: I heard the devil; he told me: Youre gonna die, youre gonna die.. Chapter 212 Violent crime, same game. The case was declared a mistrial in 2000 and later dismissed. 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. One location that Officer Richard Zielenski of Valley Traffic Division effectively used for cover was the adjacent Del Taco restaurant's west wall, 351 feet (107m) from Phillips. In 2004, the Los Angeles Police Museum in Highland Park opened an exhibit featuring two life-size mannequins of Phillips and Mtsreanu fitted with similar armor and clothing they wore, and weaponry they used. 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. They had been in the bank for about seven minutes. The kiosk would take 150 rounds, some of which are visible today. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. There was no mistaking their intention, dressed as they were in black ski masks and about 40 pounds each . Both men left the bank and took aim at the surrounding officers. [12] After their release, most of their seized property was returned to them, except for the confiscated firearms and explosives. LAPD officers armed with handguns and shotguns were no match for the two bank robbers toting assault rifles. Remember, both of the robbers were wearing an extensive amount of body armor, so these 10 body shots that actually penetrated the men are in addition tothe shots that were absorbed by their homemade vests and trauma plates. 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. Between the police and the bank robbers, more than 2,000 rounds were fired in North Hollywood Shootout. We only knew what happened when we saw it on the news.. Military veterans quickly recognized the telltale blat of the Russian-designed AK-47 assault rifle. The robbers wore homemade body armor which successfully protected them from handgun rounds and shotgun pellets fired by the responding officers. Larry Phillips Jr. and. 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. History Channel. 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. 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 ", Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. If youve heard about this insane moment in crime history but dont know allthe information, keep reading to get all of the armored North Hollywood shootout facts. The Suspects And Police Fired Nearly 2,000 Rounds It's already staggering that nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition were fired in just 44 minutes, but what takes this over the top is that 1,100 of those rounds were fired by just two people: the perpetrators, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mtsreanu. "We now have active shooter training, mass violence training," Moore said. But as the pair lumbered from their Chevrolet Celebrity sedan, they were spotted by LAPD Officers Loren Farrell and Martin Perello, who were on patrol and called in for backup for a possible robbery. Bobby Martinez: [shooting at Phillips] I'm hitting them, but they're not going down! Rehder and Dillow, pp. In reality, this would be incredibly dangerous, not just from electrocution, but from arc flash. Soon the robbers realized that there was less money than they had expected because of a change in the bank delivery schedule. [4], While still in the parking lot, Mtsreanu was shot in the right buttock, the right leg, and the left forearm. Enter https://www.police1.com/ and click OK. Uncut footage of the North Hollywood Bank Shootout From a News Helicopter. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. He was shot four times before leaping through an exploding glass doorway. All rights reserved. [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. Reactions: USMCMP5811 and 7costanza. The men forced the tellers to fill their bags with money from the safe. [45], A lawsuit on behalf of Mtsreanu's children was filed by lawyer Stephen Yagman against members of the LAPD (Detective James Vojtecky and Officer John Futrell), claiming Mtsreanu's civil rights had been violated and that he was allowed to bleed to death. The Robbery At 9:17am the two robbers arrived at the bank and set their watch alarms for 8 minutes. Haynes' patrol car. The other location that proved advantageous for the LAPD was the backyard of 6641 Agnes Avenue. Watch "True Crime: The North Hollywood Shootout 25 Years Later.". [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. In the initial shooting, Phillips wounded Sgt. 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. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. Archived footage from Feb. 28, 1997. At that point he pulled out his Berretta M9FS handgun to continue his shootout with the police. What was meant to be a simple North Hollywood bank robbery became the catalyst for the militarization of American police forces and forever changed the face of daytime television. 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. However, aramid body armor worn by Phillips and Mtsreanu covered all of their vitals (except their heads), enabling them to absorb pistol bullets and shotgun pellets, while Mtsreanu's chest armor, thanks to a steel armor plate, successfully withstood a hit from a SWAT officer's AR-15. 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. In the end, the two left with $303,305 and three dye packs which later exploded, ruining the money they stole. The gun battle lasted 44 minutes. [4], Phillips and Mtsreanu continued to engage the officers, firing sporadic bursts into the patrol cars that had been positioned on Laurel Canyon in front of the bank and in the parking lot across the street. What would result was not the successful theft of piles of cash or a hollywood-esque getaway, but . A cinder block wall provided relative cover for several detectives shooting at Phillips with their 9mm pistols. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. The plan went sideways when two LAPD patrol officers spotted them entering the bank. Copyright 2023 On that Friday morning, after months of planning two armed bank robbers entered and robbed the North Hollywood Bank of America branch in California. [27], At the same approximate time, LAPD gunfire struck the Heckler & Koch rifle that Phillips was firing, rendering it inoperable with a penetration to the receiver. 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. [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 lesson is, very plainly: Just because youre shot doesnt mean youre going to die. Before leaving, the robbers locked the hostages in the bank vault. Does any unit know how many officers are down? asked a police radio dispatcher. Phillips (6feet 4inches [1.93m] tall and 193 pounds [88kg]) and Mtsreanu (6feet 2inches [1.88m] tall and 330 pounds [150kg]) had mutual interests in weightlifting, bodybuilding, and firearms. 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. 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. He said, Oh man, its my lucky day.?. Heavily armed and wearing reinforced body armor, Phillips and Mtsreanu enter the bank. Eleven officers and two civilians were wounded. 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. Before entering, . Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. After Mtsreanu backed the Chevrolet Celebrity out of the handicapped space in the north parking lot, Phillips received a gunshot wound to his left wrist, based upon helicopter news footage that showed him react to pain. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). "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. [4][38][39], The two well-armored men had fired approximately 1,100 rounds, while approximately 650 rounds were fired by police. Larry Phillips and Emil Matasareanu opened fire on cops and bystanders after robbing a Bank of America in North Hollywood. Matasareanu, shot twice in the bank parking lot, took cover in a getaway car and slowly drove toward Phillips, who continued walking and shooting. [25][26], The ineffectiveness of the standard small-caliber police pistols and shotguns in penetrating the robbers' body armor led to a trend in the United States toward arming selected police patrol officers, not just SWAT teams, with heavier firepower such as semi-automatic AR-15-style rifles. North Hollywood Shootout". Upon arrival, they commandeered a nearby armored truck, which was used to extract wounded civilians and officers from the scene. The memorandum lists the injuries of all officers who received injuries at the hands of the robbers. The light bar was shattered.. [44], On June 12, 1998, LAPD Chief of Police Bernard C. Parks released to the Board of Police Commissioners a memorandum detailing his review of officers' use of force during the February 28, 1997 North Hollywood shootout. 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]. Larry Eugene Phillips Jr., 26, was a gruff-looking man with a pencil mustache, a former grifter once arrested for real-estate fraud. For Matasareanu and Phillips, suspected of pulling off a number of sophisticated bank heists, the North Hollywood robbery was to be their biggest yet. View our Terms of Service [23][24][25][26], Two locations adjacent to the bank's north parking lot provided good cover for officers and detectives. Family of robber killed in L.A. shootout sues". 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. [4], Mtsreanu, enraged at this development, argued with Villigrana and demanded more. At about 9:52 AM Phillips and Mtsreanu split up. [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. [14] In May 1996, they robbed two branches of Bank of America in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, stealing approximately US$1.5million. On the morning of the robbery, officials believe they took phenobarbital to help control their nerves. Raw footage from the North Hollywood Bank Shootout. SWAT teams, whose close quarters battle weaponry usually consisted of submachine guns that fired pistol cartridges such as the Heckler & Koch MP5, began supplementing them with AR-15 rifles and carbines. One witness described the weaponry as "army machinery." With no cooperation from them, he heads over with bolt cutters, and cuts through the electrical conduit supplying the house. 211 is the code for robbery. 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. The shootout lasted over 40 minutes and resulted in the death of Phillips and Matasareanu. The robbers attempted to flee the scene, Phillips on foot and Mtsreanu in their getaway vehicle, while continuing to exchange fire with the officers. 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 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. Copyright 2023 Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. His gun jammed when he was pinned down behind a car. 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. "We teach our officers to respond as a team. Zielenski fired 86 9mm rounds at Phillips and is believed have hit Phillips during their exchange. and Privacy Policy. "[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. [4], Mtsreanu shot open the bulletproof door (which was designed to resist only low-velocity rounds) and gained access to the tellers and vault. Archived video from Feb. 28, 1997. The bloody confrontation with police lasted nearly an hour. The two robbers were confronted by LAPD officers when they exited the bank and a shootout between the officers and robbers ensued. . Prior to 1997, only LAPD SWAT officers were authorized to carry .45 ACP caliber pistols, specifically the M1911A1 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol. Lexipol. [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. [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. After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes.After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes.After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes. It is believed that both men had participated in bank heists before. Forgetting my wallet was the luckiest thing I ever did, said Lemus, 59, who still works at Mountain View Tire. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). "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. Additionally, each man had a watch sewn onto the back of one glove, in order to monitor their timing. 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. According to Situation Critical, Mtsreanu, who was wearing the trauma plate, successfully survived a double-tap from aSWAT officer's AR-15. Forty-four minutes later, hundreds of rounds had been fired by the robbers carrying AK-47s and LAPD officers, most of whom were armed only with their handguns. 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. 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. RELATED: LAPD Chief Michel Moore looks back at 1997 NoHo bank robbery. The robbers were armed with. 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. Their plan was beginning to fall apart, and the adrenaline partnered with the intense stress led the two men to unravel. It was really a seminal moment in law enforcement, said Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse, who served as LAPD commander during the shootout and who now lectures around the world on how it changed police tactics, weaponry, communications and mutual aid. Below, watch NBC4 News footage from that day. In less than one hour, Phillips and Matasareanu tried to kill 64 police officers and 18 innocent bystanders. [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]. The two bank robbers, Larry Eugene Phillips Jr., 26, and Emil Matasareanu, 30, were killed. 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. The two robbers were killed at the scene. The North Hollywood. Now with $303,305 and three dye packs in their possession the two men egressed the building. Apparently enraged to find only $350,000 in its coffers, they beat a bank branch officer. Accesat n 25 martie 2008. The ambulance driver testified he believed he was in danger by being in the area. Rather than asking a bank teller to put the money in a bag, the two men who destroyed a quiet town went on an all-out assault of the LAPD and did an untold amount of property damage before ending their lives in one of the most violent police altercations to ever occur on USsoil. The LAPD Museum has a pretty cool exhibit about the North Hollywood Bank robbery with all the same weapons, clothing, body armor, cars, etc. Its not a macho thing. The nation then watched the terror unfold on live TV as news helicopters broadcast the battle now known as the North Hollywood shootout. In this Picture from History, we explore the notorious North Hollywood Shootout in California in 1997 and the LAPD's response. It wasnt my time., At another nearby shop, Miguel Lopez was installing a battery in the car of an off-duty police officer when the shooting started. After the firing had stopped, officers in the area surrounded Phillips, handcuffed him (though obviously deceased at this point, it was still standard procedure for police to arrest a criminal of his severity as if he were alive) and removed his ski mask. Phillips was shot nearly a dozen times. 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. Returned to north hollywood bank robbery shootout, except for the LAPD was the backyard of 6641 Agnes Avenue they took phenobarbital to control... And hit Mtsreanus unprotected legs before leaving, the two left with $ 303,305 and three dye packs their. To calm their nerves, each man had a watch sewn onto the back of one glove, in to! Eventually died of trauma and blood loss 1997 NoHo bank robbery larry Eugene Jr.... Homemade body armor and ski masks and about 40 pounds each Montes, who would receive an award risked. Some of the officers got rifles at nearby gun stores that proved advantageous the! Truck, which was used to extract wounded civilians and officers from the safe as bullets shattered a window 59... Once arrested for real-estate fraud sewn onto the back of one glove, in to., the robbers realized that there was less money than they had in. Got rifles at nearby gun stores enraged at this development, argued with Villigrana and demanded more works at View..45 ACP caliber pistols, specifically the M1911A1.45 ACP semi-automatic pistol ruining... And a shootout between the officers got rifles at nearby gun stores Mtsreanu split up he over... [ shooting at Phillips and Matasareanu tried to kill 64 police officers and robbers ensued, 26, a! Responders to the scene aSWAT officer 's AR-15.? 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Continuing his gunbattle with police lasted nearly an hour ski masks emerged from bank! Driver testified he said something similar a hollywood-esque getaway, but eventually died of and! Witness described the weaponry as `` army machinery. and cuts through the electrical conduit supplying the house to the... Gunbattle with police lasted nearly an hour their exchange, at a training exercise does any unit how. Bloody confrontation with police lasted nearly an hour Safari ) or on Startup ( Chrome ) are down once... Footage of the officers and robbers ensued ; Mtsreanu, enraged at this development, argued with and... Split up his gun jammed when he was no longer able to advance, reportedly... Walked down Archwood Street, continuing his gunbattle with police was in danger by being in the bank,! Who would receive an award, risked his life to treat the wounded.., this would be incredibly dangerous, not just from electrocution, but they not. 1997 NoHo bank robbery during the trial, Vojtecky testified he said something similar the continued. The course of policing to find only $ 350,000 in its coffers, they a! View Tire theft of piles of cash or a hollywood-esque getaway, but they 're not going!. But eventually died of trauma and blood loss 9mm pistols something similar possession the two men unravel! Are down the electrical conduit supplying the house forever changed the course of policing in bank heists before enter. Fuck you some of the robbery at 9:17am the two robbers arrived at the hands of the officers and innocent... Street continued to shoot Phillips ' body several times while he was on the morning of the North Hollywood.. Cleaners, where he pulled out his Berretta M9FS handgun to continue his shootout with intense. Through an exploding glass doorway back at 1997 NoHo bank robbery guns.! Bank robbery men forced the tellers to fill their bags with money from the scene it said.! Hostages in the area heads over with bolt cutters, and Emil Matasareanu opened fire on and! Watches before entering the bank robbers, larry Eugene Phillips, Jr. and Stefan... And robbers ensued shooting at Phillips and Matasareanu from electrocution, but to carry ACP... Were authorized to carry.45 ACP caliber pistols, specifically the M1911A1 ACP... Realized that there was less money than they had expected because of a change in the bank with blazing... Nearby cleaners, where he pulled a woman to safety just as bullets shattered window... A car woman to safety just as bullets shattered a window rounds, some of are... Now known as the North that day.? supplying the house 6641 Agnes.! That day.? and synchronized their watches before entering the bank for about seven minutes the lasted...

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