The North Hollywood shootout was a notorious bank robbery that occurred on February 28th, 1997, where two armed bank robbers engaged in a shootout with the Los Angeles Police Department. The incident was a turning point in police history, highlighting the need for more firepower to combat escalating criminal firepower. The robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mataserano, received training from the movie Heat, which mimicked the tactics employed in the shootout. The LAPD ultimately issued M16s to its officers to level the playing field, marking a significant change in police equipment. [... more]

The infamous North Hollywood shootout occurred on February 28, 1997, when two armed bank robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emile Mataserano, engaged in a 17-minute shootout with the Los Angeles Police Department. The robbers, who had received training from the movie Heat, were ultimately killed, but not before they had fired over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. The shootout marked a turning point in LAPD history and led to the issuance of M16s to police officers to level the playing field against increasingly armed criminals. [... more]