Gunfights that Changed Law Enforcement Tactics

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 1/16/20 | M Ayoob

[w1n1]

In the past 30 some odd years, U.S. law enforcement tactics, procedures, and policies have evolved because of these tragic incidents. Not all of us are LEO’s but their training in gunfight tactics have trickled down to private citizen training as well.
The gear and training employed by officers is much different today, partly as a result of the infamous FBI Miami shootout in 86. There have been other game-changing gunfights in the last quarter century. The following segment examines each of them and how they changed LE tactics, procedures, and policies.

FBI Miami Shootout April 11, 1986: Pinecrest, FL
This close-quarters gun battle involved eight FBI agents and two heavily armed suspects during a felony stop in southern Miami. This horrific incident led FBI Firearms Training Unit Director John Hall to conclude that the carnage was primarily "an ammo failure."
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the FBI phased out revolvers and .38 Special ammunition. Agents were also eventually issued H&K MP5 submachine guns for high-risk encounters.
"The FBI went looking for a pistol round with deeper penetration," says Dave Spaulding, a retired Ohio police lieutenant and pistol instructor. "It's not important that you hit something, it's important that you hit something important."
The FBI’s adoption of 10mm Auto to attain greater stopping power popularized the then-obscure round. The FBI later switched to a subsonic load (the “10mm FBI”) to better tame the full-powered 10mm that delivered about 38,000 pounds psi.
Later, the FBI switched to the .40-caliber S&W that was the most prevalent duty ammo in law enforcement in that era. The .40-caliber provides similar ballistics to a 10mm in a shorter casing.
Fast forward to the modern day, with the advancement of technology – the 9mm round can perform just as well as the 10mm in terms of penetration. The FBI has gone back to the 9mm not for the knockdown power but for less recoil and ability to do multiple rapid fire.

Carl Drega Rampage Aug. 19, 1997: Bloomfield, Vt
Recluse Carl Drega took his one-man war with society across state lines on Aug. 19, 1997, launching a rampage that started with the murder of two New Hampshire troopers attempting to ticket him in the parking lot of a LaPerle’s IGA market in Colebrook.
Drega, was armed with an AR-15 and ballistic vest, stole the trooper’s cruiser and drove to Columbia, where he killed a judge and newspaper editor. He then crossed into Vermont, running a game warden off the road and firing on responding officers who located the stolen cruiser.
Two New Hampshire troopers and a U.S. Border Patrol agent with an M14 .308 rifle providing mutual aid eventually stopped Drega by shooting and killing him. The gunman had also been struck in the vest with a rifled shotgun slug.
Following the incident, rural agencies began equipping their officers with patrol rifles, says Ayoob, who was a reserve officer in New Hampshire.

North Hollywood Bank Robbery Feb. 28, 1997: Los Angeles, CA
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.
Officers responding to the Bank of America branch along Laurel Canyon Boulevard on Feb. 28, 1997, engaged Larry Phillips, Jr. and Emil Matasareanu from the cover of a locksmith shop across a four-lane thoroughfare. LEO’s typically trained at 25 yards with 9mm handguns fired from 70 yards, attempted to answer the military-style rifles—a full-auto Romanian AIM AK-47 variant, Norinco Type 56 S-1, semi-auto HK91, and modified Bushmaster XM15 E2S—used by the suspects. Their loaded 3,300 rounds of ammo were in boxes and drum magazines inside the trunk of their white Chevy Celebrity.
With his troops outgunned, Lt. Nick Zingo authorized officers to head to nearby BB & Sales Gun store to acquire rifles to match the ones fired by the suspects. Following the shootout, which was broadcast locally on live television, law enforcement agencies began providing AR-type rifles to patrol officers.
"Two important lessons come to mind from the North Hollywood shootout," says retired LAPD Capt. Greg Meyer, a member of the POLICE advisory board.
-"First, it is essential these days to equip patrol officers with rifles. Incident after incident around the country proves this. The North Hollywood officers did not have that resource until SWAT arrived on the scene in the final minutes of the shootout."
-"Second, several of the nine heroes wounded were detectives, male and female. Don’t overlook tactical training for your detectives." Everyone needs to keep up-to-date with tactical training. (gunfight drills) Read the rest of gunfights that changed law enforcement tactics.

[FreedomPoster]

ping

[Bonemaker]

“..to nearby BB & Sales Gun store to acquire rifles to match the ones fired by the suspects..”

Nothing like the heat of a gunfight to decide it’s time to upgrade your weaponry. Did the cops pass the background check and California’s 10 day waiting period?

[subterfuge]

That Hollywood gun battle was epic and terrifying.

[HighSierra5]

I was remodeling an apartment building across the street from the North Hollywood shootout... 6 months earlier. The cops had a chance to arrest those guys earlier when they were pulled over and saw all the weapons in the trunk. You think Cornpop was bad. Those guys were mean with a gun.

[Lurker]

The Platt/Mattix cluster**** in Florida had more to do with the terrible judgement of the FIBs involved than the guns they were using.

L

[OKSooner]

Did you get Ayoob’s permission to take his work and post it here, just to pimp your own blog with it?

[Spirochete]

So how did dogs get caught up in these tactics?

[dhs12345]

Paul Harrell on Youtube runs through situations in the past and discussed the failures. Very interesting.

Remember one situation where the police officer's prescription glasses fell off in an ensuing accident.

[mad_as_he$$]

"...The Los Angeles officers who found themselves under a barrage of heavy machine-gun fire from the North Hollywood bank" Ayoob, you should be ashamed of your self.

[Moe G.]

Here in Israel, all police, even traffic, have sub-machine guns... it’s a basic...

[dhs12345]

Interesting too that a car will not provide you with shelter. Well at least protection only near the engine. Almost every caliber (including 22 occasionally) penetrated the car chassis.

[Migraine]

In addition to factors learned in the N Hollywood 1997 shoot, I recall that the officers began shooting a lot of ricochets off the pavement, many of which found homes in perpetrator flesh.

[Arones]

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the FBI phased out revolvers and .38 Special ammunition. Agents were also eventually issued H&K MP5 submachine guns for high-risk encounters.

Once you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

[Arones]

Did you get Ayoob’s permission to take his work and post it here, just to pimp your own blog with it?

Seems like a rehash of this:

5 Gunfights That Changed Law Enforcement May 4, 2011 • by Paul Clinton

[Jed Eckert]

For anyone that is interested here's an interesting analysis of the Miami FBI shootout:

FBI's Miami Firefight-The Ultimate After Action Report

There's also a great book with the forensic analysis of the two felons wounds. Unfortunately the price has gotten absurd. Forensic Analysis Of The April 11, 1986, FBI Firefight

Somewhere online there must be a cheap PDF copy.

[Romans Nine]

Hardly a rehash, a direct ripoff.

Good catch.

[Lurker]

Thanks.

L

[Badboo]

The logical extension of the first LEO on the seen must engage, is constitutional carry. So the asswipe politicians who oppose carry, prefer the additional deaths that occur till a cop shows up and actually knows what to do.

The government wants you dead. Turns out the Black Panthers were right.

[bgill]

Don’t bring a bobby stick to a gun fight.