The shootout transpired shortly after midnight when authorities detected a suspicious boat at sea, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Jeffrey Quiones told the Associated Press. A series of two other unmarked bureau Buicks joined the low-speed tail as it meandered for two minutes a few blocks each way. You've been successfully signed up for the Police1 Careers. As a result, the agents were unable to provide timely updates on the location of the pursuit. You teach hate, this is what you get. Agents Jerry Dove and Ben Grogan were shot and killed by Platt during the shootout. And Dove and Grogan were executed, reports say, while distracted by Doves weapon. Editor's Note: On April 11, 1986, in Miami, Florida, eight FBI agents and two bank robbers engaged in a five-minute gunfight. In many ways, Mireles battle was just beginning after the last shots were fired. 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. 3) The "Miami Rampage Murders" - over a period of 2 weeks, 20 persons were beaten, shot, and stabbed to death by the 4 younger persons of the gang, Tokars, Collins, Snodgrass, and Tobin. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. Edmundo Mireles is a former FBI agent and author of. Vivid Memories of FBI's Bloodiest Shootout Linger. Your email address will not be published. And while it explicitly doesnt assign blame this document contains neither recommendations or conclusions of the FBI it does over and over again lay out the agents key problem: firepower. Book details & editions. Notorious drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman has appealed to Mexico's president for help due to alleged 'psychological torment' he is suffering in a US prison, his lawyer said Tuesday. The revolvers were limited to six rounds, while the pistols had 14-round magazines. It wasnt until after the duo had killed a man for his car, seriously injured a second man while stealing his black 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and shot up eight FBI agents that anyone even suspected they shared a common hobby: robbing banks. He's a grieving husband and father who just happened to have collected $350,000 in insurance money . Editor's Note: On April 11, 1986, in Miami, Florida, eight FBI agents and two bank robbers engaged in a five-minute gunfight. The test events conducted were as follows: Test 1: Bare gelatin at 10 feet, control test. Crime_scene_photo_of_the_FBI_Miami_shootout,_showing_suspect_and_agents'_vehicles_and_battle_debris._Photo_by_Miami-Dade_PD.jpg (720 500 pixels, file size: 178 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg), http://www.policemag.com/articles/photos/2061/5-gunfights-that-changed-law-enforcement/2722.aspx, Deutsch English espaol franais italiano portugus portugus do Brasil sicilianu +/. February 2, 2021 / 5:20 PM / CBS Miami. 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. In the history of the FBI, 36 agents have been killed in adversarial action. Advancing on the car, he fired his pump-action shotgun at Platt five times, injuring his feet. 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. From start to finish, the whole event lasted a mere five minutes. About a year after the shootout, the agents and Winters headed to Quantico, Virginia, to reenact the fight and conduct interviews for an FBI training video Firefight. Not long after, the FBIs interim director told a TV news reporter that the agents experience had made the Bureau think long and hard about its arming choices. Two dead agents and a very public law enforcement safety failure was more than enough inspiration for the FBI to take a hard look at exactly what their agents carry on the street. By studying natural human reaction during vehicle-involved shootings, for example, he helps students understand how to use cars for both cover and concealment. Retired Special Agent Ed Mireles was one of eight FBI agents on . I took my arm and tossed it over on the side, and picked up my shotgun and started focusing on survival, Mireles told RECOIL. (Agents) Gordon (McNeill) and Jake (Hanlon) both stated that they felt the most vulnerable when they ran out of ammo and had to reload. Miami Shootout: With Pernell Roberts, Burke Byrnes, Robert Covarrubias, Rick Dean. But on April 11 . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As they attempted to keep up, the agents in the lead car became task saturated with monitoring the suspects actions, evaluating the terrain and formulating a takedown plan. The rear of Agent Ben Grogans Buick was left coated in Platts blood as he worked around it, first killing Grogan and Agent Jerry Dove, and then shooting Agent John Hanlon. The Players Army buddies Michael Platt and William Matix had a lot in common. Within four years a blink of the eye by bureaucracy standards the FBI was fielding the Smith & Wesson 1076 in a move from 9mm to 10mm rounds, and sparking many local police forces to do the same. During the firefight, FBI Special Agents Jerry L. Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan were killed, while five other agents were wounded. Federal agents quickly scrambled and chased the boat but the suspected drug traffickers opened fire at the federal agents. However, observing gives me partial credit for the research. This study dramatically altered the way law enforcement thought about handgun ammunition. That is why the FBIs ballistic testing was so cutting edge and important for law enforcement across the country. At one point during the firefight, Mireles realized his Remington 870 shotgun was pointing at a brother agents back as he ran up to his position to reinforce it. Literally dying from their injuries, they critically wounded several agents . Platt also fired a total of six shots from two .357 Magnum revolvers. The book had autopsy photos of both men that are pretty gruesome. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, Video: Conn. cop fired for misconduct against driver while directing traffic, Police bodycam released after EMS providers charged with murder of patient in their care, Ohio sheriff: Fitness standards keeping cadets from taking final exam, 5 Tenn. officers fired, 3 suspended after sexual misconduct investigation, New LAPD policy lowers off-duty drinking limit for armed officers, Open the tools menu in your browser. The FTU also had to take into consideration employees with small hands, so there had to be a balance between caliber and the size of the pistol frame. The death of Regina Platt on Christmas Eve 1984 was considered a suicide. Instead, Matix and Platts weapons, in orange, went against agents five revolvers, three pistols, and two shotguns. Fortunately, firearms expert Paul Harrell has been exposed to it in ways the vast majority of us have not. Twenty-five years ago, eight FBI agents pursuing two armed robbery suspects attempted a felony stop that resulted in a hail of gunfire, four deaths, and a reexamination of law enforcement weaponry, duty ammunition, body armor, and vehicle-stop tactics. 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. The FBI cornered the men on a suburban street south of Miami and engaged them in a bloody shootout that lasted morethan 10 minutes as motorists blundered through the line of fire but escaped injury. Both suspects were honorably discharged from the army with no apparent demerits on their records. The hardware only gets you so far. 4.13. Agent Mireles arm was turned inside out by the rifle bullet that almost separated it from his body. Then, the action started: a brief car chase, a decision to ram the Monte Carlo into stopping, and a gunfight with more than 140 rounds fired. Another similar criticism of the situation is that none of the participating agents had rifles. Mireles experienced a range of physiological effects during the pursuit and gunfight. The firefight claimed the lives of Special Agents Jerry L. Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan. 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. Later in 1988, the FBI hosted the Wound Ballistics Seminar/Workshop. Very early in the Miami gun battle, (Agent) Jerry Dove fired a bullet that stopped about two inches short of (bank robber Michael) Platt's heart. The 1986 Miami Dade FBI Shooting: An Analysis. Thanks! MIAMI (AP) _ The wife of one of the robbery suspects slain in a shootout with FBI agents was pressured by her husband into sleeping with his buddy, and told a friend the day before she died that she had been threatened with death, her attorney says. Platt was shot in the chest before any FBI agent was seriously injured a better bullet wouldve likely killed him immediately. The study also proved something many law enforcement agencies have known: The expansion of hollow point bullets is unreliable. Its what you have until you can work to something better. he said. Benjamin P. Grogan FBI It was originally assumed that the agents had shot poorly and therefore allowed Platt and Matix to advance on them so effectively. This inoculation effect makes it important to address these phenomena in training. 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 . WILL LESTER April 10, 1987 GMT. This clip is from the 'made for TV' movie entitled "In The Line Of Duty" staring David Soul. When they didnt actually kill the man from whom they had stolen their Monte Carlo getaway car, he was able to describe the thieves and pass the cars license plate number to police. 1986. Platt opened fire and hit Mireles in his left forearm disabling it. The Ultimate Firearms Destination for the Gun Lifestyle, 2023 Recoil Magazine 02:14. His focus on using sound tactics helped him prevail. 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). Note: Works that are considered "public records" but were not created by a state or municipal government agency may be copyrighted by their author; the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution prevents state law from overriding the author's right to copyright protection that is granted by federal law. As Matix and Platt cruised by one of the banks, Special Agents Benjamin Grogan and Jerry Dove spotted and followed the stolen Monte Carlo, first north, then east, then south. Test 7: Automobile glass at 10 feet. While Platt and Matix were mortally wounded during the shootout, they were not incapacitated. Only two of the 8 agents involved in the firefight had any type of ballistic protection but none of the protection worn was designed to stop the .223 rifle rounds fired by Platts Mini-14. Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents, This work was created by a government unit (including state, county, and municipal government agencies) of the, Crime scene photo of the FBI Miami shootout, showing suspect and agents' vehicles and battle debris. FREE Grant assistance! Mireles reported that he and his fellow agents felt a sense of survivor guilt and questioned whether they could have done something different or better that would have changed the outcome and saved their friends. 4/11/86 MIAMI, FL PART 3 OF 4 BUFILE: 89-6047. What infamous domestic battle would you like to see covered next? Recovered FBI documents reveal four of the preceding robberies showing that these activities were not a one-off event but rather a perhaps pathological series of robberies/murders over the course of several months. Miami Shootout Crime Scene (Photo: By Miami-Dade Police Department) Upon autopsy of Michael Platt, forensics showed that despite being shot through the chest with a 9mm, the bullet stopped just short of the heart. A memorial marker dedicates a stretch of Southwest 82nd Avenue in Pinecrest to FBI Special Agents Jerry Dove and Benjamin Grogan, who were killed in a shootout on April 11, 1986. 1986 FBI Miami shootout There is an excellent book by W. French Anderson, M.D., titled "Forensic Analysis of the April, 11, 1986 FBI Firefight." . And when the pair didnt bother to ditch the cars original tags, they virtually guaranteed theyd be spotted, eventually. The Miami FBI Shootout - The Lost Tapes. You have entered an incorrect email address! I believe that the persons responsible for these 3 sets of these murders should be brought to justice and convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Two Special Agents Jerry L. Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan died in the line of duty. Jerrys shot went through Platts right arm, severing his brachial artery, moving up and into the left side of his chest, traversing through his right lung, and stopping about two inches from his heart. Under stress, we revert to our habits make sure you program good ones into your brain. Is the car cover? You will be advised by the FBI as _to the releasability of this information following our consultation with the other agencyes!. Everything was documented for future reference so the tests could be reproduced by anyone with the equipment to validate the original findings. Miami Shooting 4-11-86 Part 2 of 11 View. All Rights Reserved. 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. Law enforcement sources say the men are . Included in the collection is a Coca-Cola Friendship Card that revamps the brand's . This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. The position of the vehicles and the agents at the start of the April 11, 1986, shootout. . On April 11, Matix and Platt died on a suburban Miami street in the bloodiest shootout in FBI history, leaving two agents dead and another five wounded. Cars and Cover Perhaps no one is more familiar with that impact than Petty. Mireles, who has recently published his own book, Five Minutes that Changed the Bureau, detailing the day, agrees. a shot to the lung by Dove's 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol that would later be credited with the bandit's ultimate death . 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. Mireleshonest discussion of his fight with PTSD and survivor guilt provides important clues for officers who might be struggling with these issues. If everyone on the team had had semi-auto pistols or rifles, that gunfight wouldve lasted 15 seconds.. However if you read the forensic analysis with autopsy photos and crime scene photos, read the agent's reports (they are on the FBI's website as a freedom-of-information disclosure) and if you . 2018). Two FBI agents were fatally shot and three agents were wounded in a shootout as they executed a search warrant in Sunrise, Florida, on Tuesday morning, the FBI said. No one is ever going to dispute that. That cost would have been prohibitive. Over the years, the Bureau went through several different gun manufacturers assessing which gun platform best served the FBIs needs. 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. His arm was terribly damaged, and it took a heroic effort to save it. So you have guys who are trying to figure something out on the fly. The FBI also authorized agents to purchase their own assault rifles for use on duty. Obviously these calibers required large frame weapons. The FBI Training Division at Quantico reviewed the Firearms Training Unit (FTU) curriculum, and the FTU started to add more combat shooting courses: Moving and shooting, shooting one-handed, reloading one-handed, shooting with your weak hand, shooting at moving targets, shooting from cars, and shooting at smaller targets. Losers. There was no vehicle material taught by the FBI, and no vehicle material taught by anyone. Mireles points out that his wife, Liz, and his soon-to-be-born children were key to his successful recovery. The following agencies are permitted to claim copyright (as well as trademarks) and any works of these agencies should be assumed to be copyrighted without clear evidence to the contrary: Works by defunct state agencies may be copyrighted if these rights were transferred to a new or different agency (note that legislation transferring such right may not have been codified into Florida Statutes). Thats when Mireles, who was seriously wounded in the left arm early on, saw his chance. The FBI also researched, designed, and procured gun racks for all these new long weapons. Wow. Dove, Grogan, and six other agents . Genres History. Plus this would mark the car as a target for a break-in to take the weapon. Apr 10, 2019. All rights reserved. Shooting through car doors and front windshield glass was telling. 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. (FBI). 2023 Recoil Magazine One-hundred and fifty shots were fired during the incident. 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.