North Hollywood Shootout, 20 years ago today

[Radio_Lady]

Today is the 20th anniversary of the famous, or infamous, North Hollywood Shootout at Bank of America, 6600 Laurel Canyon Blvd on February 28, 1997. Anyone who watched it unfold on TV that morning, or listened to it live on their scanners or heard the recordings won't soon forget it. Nor will the officers, dispatchers and citizens who unexpectedly became involved in it.

There have been hundreds of articles written about it since it happened, a couple movies of varying accuracy, and a lot of "remember when" items in the local online media and TV this week.

For those who haven't heard the LAPD-released radio recording of the North Hollywood frequency for the incident, it's available with a Google search, or the unedited 43-minutes between the original officer-initiated "assistance" call and the second suspect being taken down is at
http://pages.suddenlink.net/mediafiles/1997shoot.mp3

A couple items from "9-1-1 Magazine" focused on the communications aspect of the incident are at
9-1-1 Magazine: From the Archives: Shoot-Out In North Hollywood: Command And Communications
and
9-1-1 Magazine: North Hollywood Shoot Out: Maintaining Control

Many of us old folks on here listened to it and have discussed it over the years, too.

RL

 

[Engine104]

I remember listening to it that morning. I'd been shopping at our local market and was behind an LAFD FF. He was listening to fire comms on his handheld. I asked him what was going on and he said there was a mass shooting in North Hollywood. I went home and fired up the Pro-2006.

 

[scottyhetzel]

I remember the berreta 9 mm and shot gun LAPD had....which did nothing to the bandits....months later later CHP and local departments when to rifles and large caliber rounds like .40 and .45acp . Later .223 rifles were retrofitted to most of so cal after that incident. The Swat team was practicing close by and was able to show up quickly...

 

[PaulNDaOC]

Very surreal day for sure at LAPD. I will never forget the request for someone to go to the gun store for more firepower.

There was no shortage of brave officers on-duty that day in the Valley.

You can always find something to knock at any big agency if you look hard enough, but one thing nobody will ever be able to question is some of the best cops in the world are trained in Elysian Park.