Ep 8. North Hollywood Shootout

On February 28th, 1997, two heavily armed men entered a Bank of America branch in North Hollywood, California, and attempted to rob it. The attempted heist quickly escalated into a violent shootout with responding police officers that would eventually last more than forty-five minutes and see over 1,100 rounds fired. The event would come to be known as the North Hollywood Shootout and would change how police departments across the country thought about arming their officers and responding to similar incidents.

In this episode of the A&E series Shootout! we explore the events of that day through interviews with the responding officers and some of the civilians who found themselves in the middle of a warzone. The episode begins by setting the stage for the shootout as the two robbers, who were later found to be heavily armed with assault rifles, L.A.P.D. officers responded to the 911 calls that began flooding in around 9:30 am that morning. The first wave of responding officers quickly realized they were outgunned and outmatched as they exchanged fire with the robbers, who were wearing body armor and firing at any officer who moved.

Despite radioing for backup and SWAT teams, no one had anticipated the level of firepower the two robbers would bring to the fight, and the responding officers were forced to take cover behind parked cars and other less than ideal barriers. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the robbers had taken hostages inside the bank and were using them as human shields to avoid being shot by the police.

The tension in this episode is palpable as you hear the officers describe how they were forced to improvise their response to the situation, taking risks and pushing themselves to their limits to try and neutralize the threat. One officer described how he had to open the trunk of his cruiser and grab his AR-15 rifle, which was not something that was part of his everyday loadout, just so he could keep up with the firepower the robbers were bringing to bear.

Despite the violence of the encounter, there are moments of heroism and humanity that shine through. One civilian recalls how he and a group of others tried to rush the robbers when they briefly stepped outside the bank, using the distraction to tackle one of them and disarm him of his rifle.

Ultimately, the situation was resolved through the bravery of the responding officers and the overwhelming use of force that they were able to bring to bear once the SWAT teams arrived on the scene. However, the toll the North Hollywood Shootout took on the police department was immense, with several officers wounded and a total of eighteen civilians injured in the crossfire.

This episode of Shootout! offers a fascinating and in-depth look at one of the most significant events in modern police history, examining the way it has changed the way departments across the country handle and respond to violent situations. Through interviews with the officers involved and the civilians caught in the middle of the fight, we gain an appreciation for the courage and determination that it takes to protect and serve, even in the most dire circumstances.