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Raw footage from the North Hollywood Bank Shootout. The North Hollywood shootout was an armed confrontation between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers and officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles on February 28, 1997. 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.

Joined: May 2005

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After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes.

Joined: May 2005

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This is based on a true story. 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.

Both perpetrators were killed, twelve police officers and eight civilians were injured. Despite many comments on here.These robbers were neither stupid nor suicidal amateurs. They had already robbed two banks and a brinks armoured cash three years previously, netting a total of $1.5 million! The last job before this one was a year previously. The robbers Phillips and Mătăsăreanu spent many months preparing/reconnaissance at this Bank.

They armed themselves with a semi automatic HK-91 and several illegally converted weapons: two Norinco Type 56 S rifles, a fully automatic Norinco Type 56 S-1, a fully automatic Bushmaster (M16) XM15 Dissipator. Additionally they had approximately 3,300 rounds of ammunition in box and drum magazines in the trunk of their vehicle. Phillips wore roughly 40 pounds (18 kg) of equipment, including a Type IIIA bulletproof vest and groin guard; a load bearing vest and multiple military canteen pouches for ammunition storage; and several pieces of homemade body armor created from spare vests, covering his shins, thighs, and forearms.

Mătăsăreanu wore only a Type IIIA bulletproof vest, but included a metal trauma plate to protect vital organs. Before entering, they took the barbiturate phenobarbital, prescribed to Mătăsăreanu as a sedative, to calm their nerves. They hit the bank around am, and set their watch alarms for eight minutes, the police response time they had estimated. To come up with this timeframe, Phillips had used a radio scanner to monitor police transmissions prior to the robbery.

However, the robbery ended up being compromised by luck,as the two were walking in, they were spotted by two LAPD officers, Loren Farrell and Martin Perello, who were driving down Laurel Canyon in a patrol car who reported the robbert taking place. Within minutes the bank was surrounded with police. Had those tow patrol officers not going past the bank as that exact time they did,then the robbers would have been long gone,job done.

For three years they foiled and fooled the police. So in my opinion they were well organised,trained and professional . But as the Police always say,sometimes you need a bit of lady luck EG The passing patrol car as the robbers entered the bank.