He kept fighting. Below is a brief description of some of the preceding robberies attributed to Matix and Platt. After Mireles fired the final shots of the firefight, he was approached by fellow agent Ron Risner who told him the fight was over and directed him to secure his handgun. Make that a crowded driveway: by the end, the fight involved two bad guys with two .357 Magnum revolvers, a Ruger Mini-14, and a shotgun, plus eight good guys with five revolvers, three pistols, and two shotguns. Mireles said that he raged against the dying of the light, and through sheer will was able to stop the cop killers from injuring more agents and getting away. See more ideas about fbi, miami, federal bureau of investigation. The infamous 1986 Miami Shootout forever changed law enforcement training, equipment and tactics. Thirty-five years ago, six (some would say seven or eight) FBI agents cornered two armed robbery suspects in their car in Miami, Florida. (AP Photo/Bill Cooke) Related articles. It was at this point that the shooting began between 8 agents and the 2 suspects. While gelatin testing is commonplace, this was the first time that anyone had developed an objective methodology for the evaluation of law enforcement ammunition based upon real world shooting situations. William "Bucky" Lawson is a self-described "typical Appalachian-American gun enthusiast". The technique came to him in the moment due to a superior mindset that was focused on problem solving and getting the job done, no matter the difficulty. In the end, two FBI agents and the bank robbers were dead, and . One-hundred and fifty shots were fired during the incident. The FBI Miami shootout was a gun battle that occurred on 11 April 1986 in Miami, Florida between eight Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and two serial bank robbers. It also illustrates the frequency of hand and arm injuries in gunfights and warns us to be ready for single-hand shooting and weapon manipulations. Reloader Acting on a hunch, they picked this particular day to stage a bank stakeout, watching for a pair of unidentified bad guys in a stolen Monte Carlo on the off chance theyd show up. The experience highlights the importance of transmitting timely information and lends support to the tactic of transferring communication responsibilities to the #2 unit in a pursuit, to relieve the workload on #1. This led to another project that the FBI started to work on, which was the ballistics testing project. Mireles then advanced to the drivers side door and pointed his revolver through the window and Shot Platt in the chest which bruised his spinal cord and ended the gunfight. When he made his last-ditch charge of the felons position to finally end the fight, he utilized available cover and concealment as he approached, enhancing his chances for success. Thirty-five years ago, six (some would say seven or eight) FBI agents cornered two armed robbery suspects in their car in Miami, Florida. (FBI), If I could change something Id change that, Mireles said. An event like this firefight sends out ripples in the pond that travel far, and officers and agency leaders need to account for this and provide help to all those affected not just the direct participants. The Protectors Podcast is hosted by Dr. Jason Piccolo, a 21-year federal agent, and military veteran. Most shots through windshield glass and car doors stripped out about 50 percent of the bullet weight as it passed through the barrier. Everything was documented for future reference so the tests could be reproduced by anyone with the equipment to validate the original findings. The gunfight happened before the advent of TECC knowledge, procedures and training, and the lifesaving acceptance of tourniquets as a first line of defense against hemorrhage. The crime scene in Dade county after the shootout. Despite the injuries, Platt continued to return fire with both his revolver and rifle and was struck several more times in the process. Your email address will not be published. In the history of the FBI, 36 agents have been killed in adversarial action. One FBI Vehicle (right) forced the Platt/Matix Vehicle (middle) into a tree ending the car chase and began the shootout. 1986 FBI Miami shootout He and his partner Michael Lee Platt were killed in a shootout with FBI agents. Theres a saying in the Bible, Ecclesiastes 9:11, he said. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, The numbers meant that every two agents would have a shotgun or MP-5 with them in case they needed more firepower. Before that, nothing had ever happened; its just a bunch of guys saying lets go kick crime in the face today. They were not ever taught how to ram cars. His actions demonstrate the power of a no-surrender mindset and serve as a model for all of us to follow. During the firefight, FBI Special Agents Jerry L. Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan were killed, while five other agents were wounded. A Bureau investigation into the fight completed just over one month later lays out each step of that day, with details down to every shot fired. Copyright 2023 Police1. Police investigate the scene of a shootout in Miami on April 11, 1986, which left two FBI agents and two armed robbery suspects dead and five other agents wounded. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Wow. Agents Grogan, Hanlon, and Dove were in the midst of reloading their firearms and were unaware of Platt who had begun advancing on their position behind their vehicle. Other robberies in the string had occurred on Friday mornings, and since the last haul for these guys had been small, only about $8,000 according to those involved, agents guessed theyd hit again soon. Regular FBI agents (non-SWAT trained) could only purchase semi-automatic assault rifles, had to register their weapon with the FBI, and had to qualify with their weapons a minimum of once a year. On April 11, 1986 a firefight ensued between 8 FBI agents and 2 . Florida's Constitution and its statutes do not permit any agency to claim copyright for "public records" unless authorized to do so by law. April 25, 1986. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Crime_scene_photo_of_the_FBI_Miami_shootout,_showing_suspect_and_agents%27_vehicles_and_battle_debris._Photo_by_Miami-Dade_PD.jpg&oldid=494546251, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Florida Department of State 286.031, Florida Statutes (2018). .45, .44 magnum. The shooting ended with Platt killing two agents and wounding five agents. Once again, Mireles credits the support of his family and peers for helping him to eventually come to this peace. The shootout took place after a crime spree involving two retired Army veterans who would eventually meet their end at the hands of the FBI in one of the most infamous law enforcement shootouts in national history. It wasnt until 2015, almost 20 years later, that ballistic technology had advanced enough to warrant the FBIs return to the 9mm. The 1986 FBI Miami shootout was a gun battle that occurred on April 11, 1986 in an unincorporated region of Dade County in South Florida (renamed Miami-Dade on November 13, 1997) between eight FBI agents and two serial bank robbers.During the firefight, FBI Special Agents Jerry L. Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan were killed, while five other agents were wounded. After this, Platt attempted to get away by entering Grogan and Doves car but was shot by the injured Agent Mireles who shot Platt with his Remington 870 shotgun using only one arm. The event sparked near-immediate changes to how the Bureau arms and trains every agent from the desk guys to SWAT agents, with local police forces nationwide following their lead. We have better weapons today, but were still having a crisis in law enforcement of officers losing gunfights around cars, he said. On April 11, 1986, FBI Special Agent Ed Mireles and seven of his fellow agents fought against two heavily armed felons in a desperate battle in an unincorporated part of Miami, Florida. Two ruthless serial bank robbers attract the attention of the FBI, which leads to a deadly shootout. And although the gunfight has now been parsed, dissected, and examined in law enforcement classrooms for decades, one overwhelming truth emerges: It never really had to happen to begin with. Schwartzenberger, 43, had been with the FBI since 2005, and leaves behind a . Published January 1, 2017. While they struggled to reload and maneuver, Platt simply replaced his magazine and continued to fire. Both men had no criminal record before their crime spree which began with a single murder and robbery on October 4th, 1985 where young Emilio Briel was killed by the two men at a quarry at the edge of the Everglades that was used for target practice. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Two Special Agents Jerry L. Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan died in the line of duty. Both Matix and Platt were married multiple times before the robberies and subsequent shootout took place but it is unclear if any of the circumstances behind the deaths and suicideof either of the perpetrators previous spouses was because of their own actions or just a sad coincidence. Nine days later, on April 20, 1986, the Miami Herald published a reconstruction of the first 15 or 20 minutes of their stakeout and the shootout that . MIAMI (AP) _ As a swarm of FBI agents closed in on a stolen black Monte Carlo, Gordon McNeill knew he was ordering his agents to capture two men who were going to go down hard . HATE recoilTV.com for hijacking my laptop computer by continously playing unsolicted video. What the FTU did was prepare tests of 9mm, 10mm, .38, .357, .380, and .45 caliber bullets under reproducible conditions to see how they performed. Many small people dont have large hands. When the chase abruptly terminated in a vehicle crash and the gunfight began, responding FBI and Metro-Dade PD units didnt know where to find their brothers, and it took several valuable minutes for them to locate the scene. FBI Miami Shooting, April 11, 1986 Miami Shooting 4-11-86 Part 1 of 11 View. Shootings like the Miami Dade FBI shootout are interesting to study to get a glimpse into the doctrines and methods used by law enforcement throughout the history of our country. There was no vehicle material taught by the FBI, and no vehicle material taught by anyone. The revolvers were limited to six rounds, while the pistols had 14-round magazines. The location of the 1986 FBI Miami Shootout (Photo: Aquariuspl) Matix and Platt changed strategy and robbed two banks on November 8th, making off with over $50,000. Despite being shot several times, Agent Hanlon went on to survive his injuries. However, this consensus caused its own problems. They had to take their eyes off the threat and look at their weapon to reload. These shots from Mireles hit Platt on both feet during which time Matix regained consciousness and joined Platt inside the car. I Made this collection for all Rockabilly and . Public records are works "made or received in connection with the official business of any public body, officer, or employee of the state, or persons acting on their behalf, [which includes the work of] the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government and each agency or department created thereunder; counties, municipalities, and districts; and each constitutional officer, board . His focus on using sound tactics helped him prevail. You need to pay for the officers killed and injured. Agents Jerry Dove and Ben Grogan were shot and killed by Platt during the shootout. How the death of her boyfriend - in the crossfire of a gangland feud - drove Maya Jama's rise to stardom and to her becoming Love Island's new host Maya Jama will make her debut as Love Island . Miller and Brock Boeser scored in regulation for the Canucks, who went 1-4-0 in five road games. Hanlon was hit in the arm while trying to reload, before getting hit a second time and temporarily paralyzed. He has been through the evidence and had time to reflect on it and reach some conclusions, which he shares with us in the video. (FBI), For the most, part officers today are also far better off around vehicles than the 80s-era agents, he said, thanks to improvements in overall car safety. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The danger of a blue-on-blue shooting spiked dramatically when the felons attempted to escape in an FBI car with its blue light flashing on the dash, because an outsider could have easily assumed they were officers under attack, not cop killers stealing a police car. And when the pair didnt bother to ditch the cars original tags, they virtually guaranteed theyd be spotted, eventually. You have entered an incorrect email address! All rights reserved. Test 5: Wallboard (drywall) at 10 feet. The Shootout Fourteen FBI agents were staked out at banks in a 60-block radius around Miami, waiting for the elusive bandits to hit. . Platt was shot in the chest before any FBI agent was seriously injured a better bullet wouldve likely killed him immediately. Still taking fire, Platt and Matix, who at some point had come to, jumped in Grogan and Doves Buick, ready to flee. TOPSAIL BEACH, N.C. (WNCN) - A North Carolina man, who lived with kidney disease for more than two decades, is starting the new year with a new kidney and new hope for the future after his wife donated her kidney to him. Paul reduces the FBIs performance in the shootout to two major failures, which I will not reveal because I believe Pauls buildup is necessary for the lessons to be realized. Visual logos have also been upgraded. 2018). The Walther PDP F-Series: A Fighting Pistol for Small Hands? Shots through both wallboard and plywood showed that the hollow point was routinely plugged by material and the projectile performed as if it were a round nose (ball) bullet. The firearms lessons from the shootout have been studied and restudied and, even today, are still referenced when discussing law enforcements use of force. All rights reserved. I thank SA (Ret.) The Smith & Wesson gun company eventually produced a .40 caliber bullet for law enforcement and civilian use. As Grogan and Dove struggled with a malfunctioning pistol, Platt leaned over their car and killed them both; a shot to the chest for Grogan and two shots to the head for Dove. Cars and Cover Perhaps no one is more familiar with that impact than Petty. Weve learned after 34 years of cop-ing that theres a reason that a lot of departments have a very strict or no pursue policy, because the juice isnt worth the squeeze., If nothing else, more than 30 years of dissecting the Miami Shootout has shown an endless appetite for what-ifs over that day. On using sound tactics helped him prevail arm while trying to reload two ruthless serial bank robbers attract attention... 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