Casefile Revisited: North Hollywood Shootout

For early access and ad-free episodes, check out our Patreon, Apple Premium, and Spotify subscription memberships. As Casefile continues into its tenth year, we're currently taking a very short break from new episodes. Brand new cases will be returning on May 23 for Premium subscribers and May 30 for the regular feed. But in the meantime, we're continuing our special bonus series, Casefile Archives, a collection of releases revisiting the earliest years of the show, along with previously unreleased Premium episodes. Rest assured that these are additional bonus releases and will not replace our standard schedule. We will still be delivering the same number of new episodes this year as we did last year. Casefile Archives is simply a way to mark the tenth year. Revisit some older episodes. Revisit some older episodes and share stories that newer listeners may not have heard before. For the re-release episodes, we've fully edited, polished, re-recorded, and freshly produced them from start to finish to match our current production standards. They are not complete rewrites. Our aim isn't to reshape the cases or alter the original storytelling, but to preserve them as they were first told while bringing them up to the level of production the show has today. Where appropriate, updates. We've added a lot of new details, but the core structure remains faithful to the originals. Because of this, these episodes may sound a little different to our recent work. Today's re-release is the North Hollywood Shootout, originally aired as Case 18 on May 8, 2016. I still remember sitting on the floor of my childhood lounge room glued to the TV as footage of this shootout played on the evening news. Even in the days before the 24-hour news, case 18 was still a big deal to me. cycle, social media, and the kind of instant global coverage we see today, it was major news here on the other side of the world, and those images are still burned into my mind nearly 30 years later. Now, here is Case 18 from Casefile Archives, the North Hollywood Shootout. Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, and for a more detailed list of content warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Casefile would like to acknowledge North Hollywood Shootout. A website dedicated exclusively to this case, which offers the most comprehensive and factual account you will find online. This episode could not have been created without the use of that resource. If you would like to know more, check out NorthHollywoodShootout.net for images, timelines, original newspaper articles, detailed analyses, and much more. February 28, 1999. February 27 was a regular Friday for Los Angeles Police Officers Lauren Farrell and Martin Pirello as they made their way down Laurel Canyon Boulevard in North Hollywood. But as they drove their patrol car past the Bank of America branch at the intersection of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Archwood Street, they noticed something out of the ordinary. Two large figures were entering the bank. Both were dressed in black and wearing ski masks. Most alarmingly, both, were carrying automatic rifles. 50-day 40-speed. Requesting assistance. We have a possible 211 in progress at the Bank of America. Bank of America? Laurel Canyon, North of Kittredge. We have have been fired. 39 shows responding code three. All units, officer needs help. At the Bank of America, Laurel Canyon, North of Kittredge. Officer needs help. Bank of America, Laurel Canyon, North of Kittredge. Before we get to the bank, we go back to 1967. Larry Phillips Sr. was just one year out of high school when he was sent to jail for what some reports claimed to be grave desecration. He was apparently involved in a drunken prank where he tried to dig up a grave and remove the head of a corpse. Larry Sr. was paroled in January 1968, but just three months later he was sent back to jail for robbing a gas station. He spent three months behind bars before being transferred to a state-run psychiatric facility in Colorado. The reason for his transfer is unknown, but ten months later, on April 18 1969, Larry Sr. escaped. A warrant was immediately issued for his arrest, but in the meantime, he picked up his girlfriend, Dorothy Clay, who reportedly had a criminal record of her own and had also spent time in jail. The couple went on the run, using numerous aliases to successfully avoid detection for the next few years. Very little is known about what happened to them during this time, but at some point, Larry Phillips Sr. and Dorothy Clay made their way to California. And it was at the California Hospital in Los Angeles on September 20 1970 that Larry Phillips Jr. was born. However, it would be many years until he would be known by this name. Given that his parents were still on the run, they used fake names and addresses, and he was known as Larry Phillips Jr. when registering Larry Jr.'s birth, listing him on his birth certificate as Larry Eugene Warfel. By September 22 1976, Dorothy and Larry Jr. were living in a small town near Denver, Colorado. Although Larry Sr. was no longer living with them, he came over to celebrate Larry Jr.'s 6th birthday. Shortly after he arrived, seven FBI agents stormed through the house and placed him under arrest. It's unknown who tipped them off, but he was sent back to jail to serve the rest of his sentence for the gas station robbery after seven years on the run. No doubt, that was an experience Larry Jr. would not forget. In the years that followed, Larry Phillips Sr. and Dorothy Clay divorced. But during his sporadic visits with his son, Larry Sr. passed on his anti-police and anti-establishment views. By 1986, Dorothy decided to move to Los Angeles. Sixteen-year-old Larry Jr. went with her, having already quit high school in the ninth grade. He had developed a love of bodybuilding, and as soon as he got to California, he bought a five-year membership to the world-famous Gold's Gym at Venice Beach. Like so many before him, Larry Jr. had plans to make it big. He wanted to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. Gold's Gym was a two-hour trip from where Larry Jr. was living, but he remained committed. It was only after a few years that he realized he wasn't going to make it as a professional bodybuilder, and he let his gym membership expire. Looking for other avenues to find his fortune, in 1990, Larry Jr. looked to cash in on Los Angeles' booming property market. To receive his real estate license, he had to undergo a background check. He provided a fingerprint, which revealed his first and only arrest in 1989 for shoplifting $400 worth of clothes. With his bodybuilding dreams shattered and his chance at real estate success taken away due to his criminal record, Larry Jr. became down and out. Instead of taking responsibility for his own actions, he blamed everybody else and started to resent society and its rules. Larry Jr. moved back to Los Angeles, where he spent the rest of his life in Los Angeles. He moved back to Denver with his high school sweetheart-turned-wife, Sharon, and their two children. Determined to strike it rich, Larry came up with a new plan. In 1992, he contacted local real estate agents pretending to be a prospective buyer. When the agents took him to inspect a house, he watched as they accessed the lockbox which contained the keys to the house, and he memorized the combination. Using a fake name, he found the keys to the lockbox, which contained the keys to the house, and he memorized the combination. Larry then placed ads in the local paper claiming to have several rental properties available. He took prospective tenants to inspect the properties, claiming they had just been sold and that the new owners wanted to rent them out as soon as possible. Larry would then accept down payments for rent and security deposits. The scam didn't last long. Larry Phillips Jr. was soon arrested, but released pending a sentencing hearing in which he filed a lawsuit. He took prospective tenants to inspect the properties, claiming they had just been sold, and that the new owners wanted to rent them out as soon as possible. he faced a possible two years in denver county jail whilst also participating in a work release program in the lead-up to the hearing larry walked out on sharon and their two kids and they never saw him again. When the day of his sentencing hearing came on March 26 1993, Larry was nowhere to be seen. A warrant for his arrest was issued immediately, but like his father before him, it appeared that Larry Jr had gone on the run. Back in 1989, while working out at Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, Larry Phillips Jr had made a friend. Born on July 19 1966, Emil Matasoranu was a Romanian immigrant who had moved to the USA at the age of 11. While he was the victim of bullying during his years at Pasadena High School, Emil went on to complete a three-year electronics engineering degree at university. He opened his own computer business in 1988, but it failed to get off the ground. He got married and had a son, but the marriage didn't last either. Emil and Larry Jr had bonded over their shared interest in bodybuilding. Emil was also passionate about firearms. After Larry fled from his charges in Colorado, he returned to Los Angeles and talked back up with his buddy. Both fresh off their failed endeavors, they started discussing ways they could make it rich. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that Larry tried to work out how Emil could help make him rich. Larry had big dreams of living an extravagant lifestyle. He sometimes drove to affluent neighborhoods and parked outside of houses he liked to picture himself living in. He didn't bring anyone into his inner circle unless he thought he could use them to his advantage. He was the type who tried to break others down just so he could build them back up and then control them. Larry was the type who tried to break others down just so he could build them back up and then control them. Larry was the manipulator, while Emil was more the follower. He did whatever Larry wanted. On July 20 1993, the pair successfully committed their first robbery, ambushing an armored car outside a branch of First Bank in Littleton, Colorado. The police were unable to identify any suspects, and the pair got away with it. Three months later, on October 29 1993, Larry and Emil were driving through Glendale, California when they were pulled over by Sergeant Ian Grimes. Larry was driving and Emil was in the front passenger seat. When questioned, Larry said he had left his license at home and he gave a false name. Sergeant Grimes then asked whose car it was, to which Emil replied it was Larry's mother's car. Sergeant Grimes had already done a check, and he knew the car was actually an airport rental. He asked Larry to step out of the vehicle and then patted him down, finding a Glock pistol with an extended 33 round magazine. A loud thud then came from inside the car. It was the sound of Emil dropping his own pistol underneath the passenger seat. Sergeant Grimes called for assistance and covered Larry and Emil until backup arrived. A subsequent search of the car uncovered a semi-automatic rifle and a Springfield pistol belonging to Larry, as well as a semi-automatic rifle and a Colt pistol belonging to Emil. Police also found: 1649 rounds of 39mm ammo 967 rounds of 9mm ammo 357 rounds of 45 ammo 6 smoke bombs 2 improvised explosive devices 1 gas mask 2 sets of body armour 2 police scanners Sunglasses, gloves, wigs, ski masks and a stopwatch 2 spray cans of hair colour 3 different sets of Californian licence plates and $1,620 in cash The police were convinced they had just stopped a bank robbery from happening. And given what was to come, they were quite obviously right. Larry Phillips Jr and Emil Matasaranu were taken to the Glendale police station where they were both charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and unlawful weapons activity. Larry was also charged with grand theft auto, carrying a loaded concealed firearm and felony perjury, while Emil was charged with carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle. At their preliminary hearing, the grand theft auto and the perjury charges against Larry were dropped, but the police were not able to support the case. The problem was, neither Larry nor Emil said a word, and the police had no other information to go on. Despite the arsenal and disguises they were found with, it was difficult to prove they were going to commit a robbery. At their arraignment, Larry and Emil claimed the disguises they were found with were fake. Despite being disappointed in the haul, they still managed to escape with over $794,000, though there were several marked bills amongst it. The two employees who were struck by ricochets survived. Emil and Larry got lucky that day. One of the tellers had managed to hit the silent alarm before diving onto the floor, but the police were thin on the ground and it took them much longer than usual to respond to the alarm. Larry and Emil had been in the bank for close to eight minutes. On a typical day, the police would have been able to respond within this time frame and it was likely they would have been caught. The police had no suspects for the robberies at the time, but they did give the unknown criminals a title, the High Incident Bandits. It would be nine months before they struck again. Branch 384 of the Bank of America is located at 6600 Laurel Canyon Boulevard in North Hollywood. Larry and Emil had studied the bank closely. They learned its layout, observed armour car drop-offs and pick-ups, and carefully formulated a plan. At around 9.15 on the morning of Friday February 28, 1997, Emil drove a white 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity sedan with blackened-out windows into the northern parking lot of the bank via Archwood Street. The pair weren't mucking around. To protect himself, Larry wore a Kevlar body armour vest, a groin protector, and makeshift armour for his shins, thighs and forearms that he'd crafted out of additional vests. All up, the body armour weighed around him. He weighed around 43 pounds, or 20 kilos. Larry also wore a load-bearing vest that contained ammunition pouches, as well as a belt that contained several canteen pouches filled with ammunition drums for the automatic rifles. He also carried a pistol in a shoulder holster. Over his armour, Larry was dressed in long black pants, a long-sleeved shirt and black jacket. He wore black gloves, with a watch face glued to the back of the left one. Emil was similarly dressed, right down to the glued-on watch face on the back of his glove. However, he wasn't wearing quite as much body armour as Larry, with his legs and arms unprotected. Given their shared interest in bodybuilding, both men were largely built. As if they didn't already look intimidating enough, they topped things off by wearing black ski masks. Between the pair, they had three AK-47-style fully automatic assault rifles with 100-round ammo drums, as well as two other assault rifles which had been illegally modified to fire fully automatic, two 9mm handguns, a.38-calibre revolver, close to 3,000 rounds of ammo, including armour-piercing rounds. These were weapons that were designed for war. By listening to police radios, Larry and Emil had learned that the average response time for police was eight minutes. At 9.17am, they set their watches for eight minutes and made their move. By listening to police radios, Larry and Emil had learned that the average response time for police was eight minutes and made their move. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Casefile to continue to deliver quality content. The northern doorway to the bank was about 32 feet from where the men had parked. They each grabbed an AK-47 and a handgun, leaving the other assault rifles in the Chevrolet along with a police radio, At that very moment, a Los Angeles Police Department patrol vehicle occupied by officers Lauren Farrell and Martin Pirello was driving down Laurel Canyon Boulevard on a routine patrol. By pure luck, the officers were in the right place at the right time, or the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on which way you look at it. After seeing Larry and Emil, the officers swung the police car into the southern parking lot of the Bank of America. And took up positions behind their patrol car. Officer Farrell then made the first broadcast. 5840, speaking. Question of assistance, we have a possible 211 in progress at the Bank of America. We have shots fired. 39 shows responding, code 3. At the Bank of America, Laurel Canyon, North of Kittredge, officer needs help. At the northern entrance of the bank was a foyer containing three ATMs. A customer was using one of the ATMs when he felt somebody approach him from behind. Turning around, he got quite the shock when he saw Larry and Emil. Larry ordered, Not about to argue, the customer did as he was told and walked into the bank with the two men. Upon their entrance, Emil started firing his rifle into the roof, yelling, Everyone down. This is a fucking hold-up, Larry declared. Everyone down, motherfuckers. There were about 30 customers in the bank at the time, including five of whom were in the safety deposit box room. Everybody complied, although one of the tellers was able to hit the hold-up alarm before diving to the floor. The suspects are inside of the bank, it's a tool of an impoverished inside the Bank of America, Laurel Canyon, North of Kittredge, the suspects are inside of the bank. Like in the previous bank robberies, Emil approached the teller door and shot his way through it. The door was bullet resistant and designed to stop any pistol round, but it was no match for Emil. Joe Villagrana, the branch's assistant manager, got up and made himself known. Emil aimed the rifle at him and told him to open the vault. As they made their way there, Emil struck Joe in the back of the head with the rifle. When they passed the safety deposit box room, Emil shot more rounds. Emil shot more rounds into the roof, and screamed at the people inside to get out. Larry remained in the lobby, keeping control of the customers and other employees. Meanwhile, Officer Farrell kept the radio transmissions coming, telling the other police where he wanted everyone set up. "83, I want one unit on the north side, I want a unit on the south side, and I want a unit on the south, if possible!" "I want a unit on the north side, I want a unit on the south side, and I want a unit on the rear." "83, we want someone to position themselves safely to lock the front door. We don't think the suspects know we are here." "15-0-42 is requesting a unit to safely position themselves in front of the front door. Suspects possibly do not know the PD is there." The next officers to arrive on scene were Detectives Tracy Angelus and William Krulak. At 9:00 AM, the police arrived at the scene. At 9:19 AM, they pulled into a parking lot opposite the bank's entrance on the western side. Sergeant Larry Haynes was next on scene. He blocked off the intersection of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Archwood Street, which was north of the bank. This gave him a view of the door that Larry and Emil had entered through. To the best of their knowledge, the offenders had no idea they were outside at this time. There were a few civilian witnesses at the scene. Larry was hanging outside the bank, and they each approached Sergeant Haynes to report what they'd witnessed. "L-40, the advisor. I've got two witnesses over here saying there's possibly two or three suspects inside. Possible AK-47s are wearing ski masks and dark clothing." "15-0-40 advises there are two correctional witnesses at the location. Advises two to three suspects inside the bank wearing ski masks and AK-47s." Less than 30 seconds later, seemingly now realising that the police were there, Larry exited the bank through the northern lobby. Sergeant Haynes released another broadcast. "I think somebody just came out of the front door of the Bank of America." "You know, advisors, I know one person has exited the bank." Outside, Larry casually looked around and surveyed the scene. He didn't look concerned at all. From his position, it's likely he would have only been able to see Sergeant Haynes' patrol car, so it might not have looked that bad. After having a look around, Larry turned around, round and calmly walked back inside the bank. Shortly after this, Officer Martin Whitfield arrived and parked next to Sergeant Haynes. Meanwhile, Emile had gained entry to the vault, but progress was slow due to the cash being stored in several separate locked boxes. This was specifically designed to slow down bank robberies, and it was working. Emile forced the assistant manager, Joe Villagrana, to open the boxes and fill his bag with the cash. In the lobby, Larry walked over to a security guard who was lying face down on the floor. Larry put his foot on the guard's neck, pointed his rifle at him, and said, If you move, motherfucker, I will kill you. When I tell you, I want you to move all of these people to the vault. The security guard nodded. Larry then walked off, shooting his rifle into the roof, while screaming, Nobody look at me or I will kill you. Back inside the vault, Emile was becoming furious. There was nowhere near the amount of money he'd anticipated. Unbeknownst to him, due to the large number of recent robberies, including the two at Van Nuys and Winnetka that Larry and Emile had committed, the Bank of America had changed its. delivery schedule. Much to Emile's outrage, the North Hollywood branch still hadn't received their cash delivery that morning. Emile started firing his weapon in frustration. Due to the large amount of gunfire being let off, and the fact there were hostages inside the bank, specialist police were needed. The call was put in for SWAT to attend. By this point, police had the bank surrounded. Officers Haynes and Whitfield were still at the intersection of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Archwood Street, giving them a good view of the Northern Doorway. Officer Brentlinger was east of their position, covering the northeastern side of the bank. He was still at the intersection of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Archwood Street, covering the northeastern side of the bank. First officers on the scene, Farrell and Pirello, were still in position in the southern parking lot. Detectives Krulak and Angelas had been joined by Officer Zaborovan and Officer Guy in the parking lot opposite the bank on the western side. And there were still plenty more police officers on the way. Back inside the vault, Joe had placed $303,305 inside Emile's bag, but amongst all that cash were three dye packs. Emile walked out of the vault towards the teller door. Larry yelled at a bank employee to, open the door, open the fucking door. She complied. Larry then yelled at the security guard, demanding, move these people to the vault, now. The customers and employees made their way inside the vault. The time was 9.24am. Larry Phillips Jr and Emile Matasoranu had been inside the bank for over seven minutes. Larry burst through the northern door of the bank, looking straight up towards the intersection of Archwood Street and Laurel Canyon Boulevard, where Haynes and Whitfield were positioned. Without a second of hesitation, Larry opened fire. First, he aimed for a police car, followed by a car, and then a police car. Three civilian witnesses were still there, and immediately dove for cover. Officer Whitfield was behind his patrol car next to Haynes. Larry took aim and unleashed on him as well. The bullets ripped through the car with ease, wounding Whitfield in the process. "Pitch now 10-4, has been notified." "Everybody stay down, rapid automatic fire, the pad in the area was fired." "All the automatic weapons were fired." "All units 9-0 united, visors large, shot fired, 500 block of Laurel Canyon." As Larry was firing north, he effectively had his back turned to other officers who were positioned to the southwest, taking cover behind a locksmith's kiosk. Officer Zaborovan was among them and he saw an opportunity. Zaborovan stepped out and fired two shots from his pump action shotgun. Some of the pellets struck Larry in the back. One even found a gap in his body armour. The hit caused Larry to stumble, but he didn't fall. He turned around to face Zaborovan, who had resumed his position behind the cover of the locksmith kiosk. Larry opened fire on the kiosk, shooting over 100 rounds into the building. The cover was flimsy and bullets penetrated the walls easily and ricocheted all over the place. The officers hit the ground. Officers Zaborovan and Guy had body armour on, but Detectives Krulak and Angeles did not. Realising this, Zaborovan placed his body over the top of Detective Angeles. A few seconds later, he was struck twice and started bleeding heavily. "We need to help our team with the officers down." "Yes." "You're going to get an attack on those here." "Any unit know how many officers are down? We have one." "More than one. More than one." "There's more than one. There's more than one." "There's more than one. There's more than one. There's more than one." "There's more than one officer down." "There's more than one. There's more than one." "There's more than one." "There's more than one. There's more than one." The police turned back to the north towards officers Whitfield and Haynes and the three civilian witnesses. Haynes was broadcasting on the police radio when Larry opened fire again, striking Haynes in the upper left arm. The patrol car was being quickly destroyed by bullets and offering minimal protection. Civilian Tracey Fisher could see her cover dwindling away. Panicking, she decided to run, but as she tried to get away, she was shot in the head. Tracey dropped back down behind the patrol car. Another civilian, Michael Horan, had also been struck. Together with Officer Haynes, this left three wounded people behind the patrol car. Back behind the locksmith kiosk, Detective Krulak asked Officer Zaborovan if he was able to run. Despite being shot, Zaborovan said he could. The two tried to get to safety using vehicles in the parking lot as cover, but Larry spotted them and unleashed more bullets. Both men were hit with glass and other fragments, as Larry's bullets damaged the surrounding cars. Detective Krulak was also shot in the right ankle. The pair spotted a dentist surgery nearby and made a run for it, while Larry continued peppering them with bullets. When they got to the dentist's door… …they didn't have time to stop and open it. Instead, they just dove right through the glass. Using the cars in the parking lot as cover, Detective Angelus and Officer Guy tried to escape as well. Larry turned his attention to them and sprayed them with bullets. By this point, Larry had been firing at the police for around three minutes. During that time, he had fired approximately three hundred rounds, and by this point, he had wounded several officers and civilians. At 9:27am, Larry walked back inside the bank. The police struggled to explain the onslaught. One officer put it best when he said, "I was in the wrong place with the wrong gun." The bullets the police were using were incapable of penetrating Larry's body armour, and given that most of his body was protected, the police were unable to take any further. The police were unable to take any further, and the police were unable to take any further, and the police were unable to take any further, and the police were unable to take any further. The police basically had no chance. Larry, on the other hand, had an automatic assault rifle with armour-piercing rounds that were going through cars and walls with ease. It wasn't a fair fight. From inside the dentist office, officer Zaborovan called out for help. The dentist on site, Dr Jorge Montes, tended to him right away, but he really needed a hospital. Outside, more and more officers arrived at the scene and took positions around the perimeter. At 9.30am, Larry walked back outside. This time, Emil was with him. They both carried the bag of money through the door and stood in the entranceway, which gave them a level of protection. They then opened fire, aiming towards the position where Officer Guy and Detective Angeles were taking cover. Upstairs in the dentist office, Zaborovan was looking out and could see what was going on. He yelled into the police radio. The police were trying to direct his colleague to safety, but Officer Guy was pinned down by the heavy fire. The bullets ripped through the car he was taking cover behind and he was struck in the right thigh. Officer Guy took his gun belt off and used it as a tourniquet, which would ultimately save his life. Detective Angeles was also wounded. The police were basically helpless at this point. Most of the original responders had been wounded, and the SWAT team still hadn't arrived. They had actually been on a training exercise at the police academy when the call came through. Larry and Emil continued to fire at anything that moved. Despite being completely surrounded, they calmly left the entrance of the bank and walked out into the open. Wounded officers Haynes and Whitfield were still behind their patrol cars with the three civilians when they realised that Larry and Emil were moving towards them. The officers made a decision to try and protect the civilians by drawing the fire away from them. Officers Haynes and Whitfield got up and ran so that the shooters would target them instead. Haynes managed to reach a nearby tree line and took cover, but he was wounded again, this time in the left shin. Whitfield also tried to take cover behind a nearby tree, but not before being shot through the thigh. The bullet shattered his femur, putting him in really bad shape, but he managed to crawl his way behind the tree. Not satisfied with badly wounding him, Larry and Emil continued to fire. Officers were going down everywhere. Case file will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Thank you for watching this video. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe to our channel and give it a thumbs up. We'd love to hear from you in the comments section below. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below. See you in the comments section below. Bye. A detective unit and a crash unit responded to the call. The store was closed when they arrived, but they managed to get staff to open up. The shop owner instructed his staff to give the LAPD whatever they wanted. As police reinforcements continued, Larry was taking more and more fire. He made his way back to the Chevrolet and swept the floor. swapped weapons. Why Larry didn't get into the car to start the getaway at this point, nobody knows. Instead, he took a knee in front of the Chevrolet, aimed upward and started firing at the media helicopters. Larry was shot again, but the body armour was still holding up. He continued firing non-stop. Emil opened the passenger door, beckoning for Larry to get in, but Larry slammed the door shut. He was intent to stay outside the vehicle and provide covering fire. Despite taking multiple hits, Larry wasn't going down. The body armour was too effective. That left only one place for the police to aim. The call was put out to aim for the head. Officer Whitfield had been keeping radio contact, but it was starting to get touch and go. Two officers who took action in response to the officer down calls were Anthony Kabunik and Todd Schmitz. While responding to Officer Whitfield's call, they instead came across Detective Angeles and Officer Guy, wounded and still taking cover in the parking lot opposite the bank. Officer Kubunic grabbed Officer Guy and pulled him into their car while Detective Angelus was able to get in herself. Officer Schmitz then reversed harshly out of the parking lot to get medical help. The SWAT team had arrived by this point and immediately got to work rescuing the other injured officers and civilians. They got hold of an armored car to assist in the rescue. The officer that's down at Lowell Canyon, Archwood, is unconscious. Shots are being fired still. The officer is down at Archwood and Lowell Canyon. 30 yards north of Archwood on Lowell Canyon. The officer is down unconscious. The officer is on the train now. He's got cover. The officer that's down has got cover behind the tree. The RA has been notified. We're trying to get someone in for him. Everyone stand by. There's an armored car coming in full of police officers. Suspect vehicle is moving. Emil put the Chevrolet in motion, deciding it was time to attempt to leave. Slowly, Emil drove out of the parking lot, with Larry walking alongside the vehicle and firing non-stop. Emil turned right onto Archwood Street and headed east, while Larry was hit twice more. He sought refuge behind a large truck with a long trailer that was parked on the side of the road. Emil completely lost sight of Larry and continued driving east. We've got one suspect driving the white vehicle. He's down. We've got one suspect on foot. The suspect on foot is behind a long trailer, truck trailer rig. 50, I'll tell you, I advise you that SWAT is moving in as we speak. SWAT is moving in. There's one suspect eastbound from the north side of the parking lot in the vehicle. The other one is on foot near the long trailer. SWAT is en route to 6600 Lowell Canyon, across from Del Taco for the opposite end. The suspects are moving eastbound. They're moving eastbound near Archwood. The suspects are moving eastbound near Archwood. Officer Torres had a clear shot of the Chevrolet and fired 12 bullets into it, prompting Emil to drive off, leaving Larry behind. One of Larry's gunshot wounds was bad enough that it would turn fatal if he didn't get help soon. To add to his problems, Larry's rifle had also jammed. He pulled out his Beretta pistol and started walking east. The suspect is walking toward 1st Street east of Lowell Canyon from Archwood. Way up ahead, Larry could see Emil in the Chevrolet, but Emil wasn't waiting. He had his own problems being pursued by other officers. At least seven officers stood in the path between Larry and the Chevrolet. He continued firing at the police with his Beretta, but he was shot yet again. By this point, he had suffered 11 gunshot wounds. The latest one struck him in the hand, causing him to drop the pistol. He picked it up off the ground, put it under his chin, and shot himself in the head. He died instantly. Larry Phillips Jr. was 26 years old. The Next Day While up the road, Emil was still under fire himself, being closely followed by police on the ground and helicopters in the air. The Chevrolet was leaking fuel and its tires were flat. Realizing it wouldn't be drivable for much longer, Emil needed to swap cars. He was still driving east on Archwood Street when a red Ford sedan drove towards him. Seeing the shot up vehicle with Emil behind the wheel, the red Ford, started to reverse. Emil got out of his car and motioned for the red Ford to come back. It didn't, so Emil started firing at it. "The advised, the suspect in the white vehicle is at Lemp, he's out of the vehicle, he's shooting at civilians." "The suspect is out of the vehicle at Lemp, shooting at civilians." All of this was being caught on camera. Times were getting desperate for Emil and a getaway was looking close to impossible. He got back into the Chevrolet and just sat there, doing nothing. He did nothing for over 10 seconds, before putting the Chevrolet into drive and continuing east along Archwood Street. "The suspect is back in the white vehicle, he is now moving slowly eastbound between Lemp and Beck." Emil then found another target, a 1962 Jeep Gladiator being driven by a man named Bill Maher. Emil started firing at the Chevrolet, but he was unable to do so because he was stuck in the middle of the road. Emil then started firing at the Chevrolet, but he was unable to do so because he was stuck in the middle of the road. But he couldn't get it started. A police car containing three SWAT officers, Don Anderson, Steve Gomez and Richard Massa, sped east down Archwood Street. Emil sat in the Jeep, facing west, meaning the officers were approaching head-on. Officer Anderson was driving. In an incredibly brave move, he drove straight at Emil, pulling the car up at an angle directly in front of the Jeep. When Emil saw the SWAT team pull up, he jumped out of the Jeep and took cover behind the Chevrolet. This put a distance of about 30 feet and three cars between him and the SWAT officers. A fierce gun battle, ensued. Emil was struck several times, but his body armor saved him, yet again. The SWAT team quickly realized that if they fired underneath the vehicles, they would be able to hit Emil in the legs, which weren't protected by armor. Their plan worked. Emil was shot multiple times in the legs, with one bullet actually shattering his leg. Still, he refused to give up and continued firing. But it was clear that SWAT were winning the battle. Emil was hit several more times, and eventually, he collapsed to the ground, dropping his weapon in the process. The SWAT team pounced on him. The entire exchange had lasted just under two minutes. "One suspect on ice wood is in custody." "One suspect on ice wood is in custody." "One suspect on ice wood is in custody." The time was 10:01 a.m. The North Hollywood shootout was over. But the scene was obviously still chaotic. Injured officers and civilians were everywhere, and the LAPD still wasn't entirely sure if all the gunmen had been caught, or if there were others still on the loose. They started checking the scene and the surrounding area for more shooters, a job that would ultimately take them 12 hours to officially clear. All up, Emil had been shot 29 times, but he was still breathing. Two detectives stood guard over him while other police cleared the area. But after 65 minutes, with an ambulance unable to get to him in time, Emil Matasaranu died at the scene. He was 30 years old. Later that same year, Emil's family filed a civil suit against the LAPD, and specifically the two detectives who guarded him as he lay dying. The court case alleged that paramedics had been making their way to attend to Emil, but had been turned away by police. It also alleged that an officer had cancelled the call for more paramedics and that ultimately, the police had deliberately let Emil die. In their defence, the LAPD explained that it was standard procedure not to allow any paramedics into what they called a hot zone as it put their lives in danger. Given that they believed there were more active shooters in the area at the time, the LAPD said they couldn't allow paramedics to attend to Emil for their own safety. The jury couldn't reach a verdict and the case resulted in a hung jury. After that, Emil's family ended up dropping the civil suit. During the North Hollywood shootout, over 300 police officers had responded to the city-wide tactical alert and 32 officers had fired their weapons. All up, Larry and Emil had fired about 11. There were 700 rounds between them, while the police had fired around 650. 17 officers were awarded the Medal of Honour for their actions and bravery. A total of 11 police and 7 civilians were injured during the shootout, but by some miracle, they all survived. The only people who lost their lives were Larry Phillips Jr and Emil Matasoranu. Any units we have here are unusable. The black and whites are all blown up. All the black and whites at the location are unusable. They have shots fired. All the black and whites at the location are unusable.