From start to finish, the whole event lasted a mere five minutes. Retired Special Agent Ed Mireles was one of eight FBI agents on . FREE Grant assistance! The shooting ended with Platt killing two agents and wounding five agents. Updated: Jan 15, 2023 / 10:43 PM EST. The agents who were too late to the scene to help were significantly impacted by the event and felt tremendous guilt for not being there. Toxicology reports performed on both Matix and Platt showed that they had no drugs of any type in their system at the time of the shootout. With blood on their hands, Matix and Platt committed the first of several armed robberies using Briels stolen car as both an assault and getaway vehicle. It was at this point Platt climbed out of the passenger side of the vehicle and was struck by fire coming from Agent Dove. Platt then caught sight of Agent Mireles who was running across the street to join the gunfight. Circumstances can make it extremely difficult for officers to identify friend and foe in the chaos of an engagement, but every officer must know that they have positively identified their target as a threat before pulling the trigger. Save my name and email to use for future comments. On April 11, 1986 eight FBI agents engaged in a lead slinging war with two criminals, and despite outnumbering the . withheld for the following reasonlslz El For your information: _ _ _ t _, The FBI began to investigate the string of robberies that were being committed in Dade county and sent out a total of 14 FBI Agents in 11 vehicles in order to stake out and search for the robbery suspects. April 20, 2011. Hanlon was hit in the arm while trying to reload, before getting hit a second time and temporarily paralyzed. If you look at a standard marked police car, you may see a shotgun rack in between the front seats of the car. Other firearms that were not present at the shooting were part of the stakeout operation and in the vehicles of other FBI agents. Mireles did this unconsciously as an automatic habit that was the byproduct of disciplined training. couldn't figure out how to stop the completely. Many small people dont have large hands. Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. An officer who is experiencing a strong physiological response to stress may have a hard time moving from a target focus to a front sight focus, but if he can gain his composure, it will enhance his ability to use his sights and deliver shots with precision, as Mireles did. After the FBI experienced its deadliest day since 9/11, flags at the FBI Miami Field Office remained lowered at half-staff Wednesday, as details continue to emerge about the fatal raid in Sunrise . There are many more important lessons to learn from this pivotal experience, and I encourage you to get a copy of Mireles' excellent new book, FBI Miami Firefight, which discusses them in detail. By 1989, the Bureau had also purchased enough shotguns and submachine guns to arm one in two agents, he said. Test 2: Light clothing at 20 yards. However, five of the other vehicles that were involved in the operation but did not participate in the shootout contained more shotguns, MP-5 submachine guns, and M16 rifles in their trunks which would have probably changed the outcome of the shootout. Michael Platt Left & William Matix Right (Photo: FBI). Video appears to show plane rolling on its side before crash in Nepal. Personal tools Log in. He worked the angles and calculated where he needed to aim on the felons escape car to prevent his buckshot from getting deflected by the compound angles of the windshield. The photo shows all the guns of all the agents patrolling Miami looking for the robbers, not just the guns of the agents involved in the shootout. Photos by FBI, Miami-Dade Police Department. Platt was shot in the chest before any FBI agent was seriously injured a better bullet wouldve likely killed him immediately. For example, a state agency may post images online of the final appearance of a building under construction; while the images may be "public records", their creator (eg. Similarly, detectives in Miami are reopening the inquiry into the death of Mr. Platt's first wife, who died of a shotgun wound to the head in December 1984. But thats what they got. Even so, he warns against the dangers of hindsight and notes that its easy to critique in leisure what other people had to do in haste. I urge you to watch the video in its entirety. Criticism has been leveled at the FBI for not equipping all the agents with protective ballistic vests despite the fact that they knew they were going after Dade county suspects who were always armed during their heists. Info. 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. Over the years, the Bureau went through several different gun manufacturers assessing which gun platform best served the FBIs needs. (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. 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. The First Encounter: Platt and Matix Inside the . Special Agent Edmundo Mireles is released from South Miami Hospital thirteen days after the shootout. The FBI designed a gun rack that was secure and out of sight yet still accessible to the agents in the front seat. The infamous 1986 Miami Shootout forever changed law enforcement training, equipment and tactics. 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." . F*ck yeah, its cover. They are improvising.. (FBI). For example, copyright in works by the Florida Space Authority may have been transferred to Space Florida. (One piece of 3/4 AA fir plywood.) 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. 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. Mireles experienced a range of physiological effects during the pursuit and gunfight. Platt returned fire with the Mini-14 and struck McNeill. The pair targeted another armored car in January 1986, shooting a guard with a shotgun and a Ruger Mini-14. If a law enforcement agency has a remote possibility of shooting around cars, it would be wiser to consider the heavier calibers. A person with a revolver has to reload after shooting six times. It provides a consistent and reliable testing material for ballistics testing. Two ruthless serial bank robbers attract the attention of the FBI, which leads to a deadly shootout. And Dove and Grogan were executed, reports say, while distracted by Doves weapon. A person with a fifteen-shot pistol can keep shooting while the revolver has to be reloaded. WILL LESTER April 10, 1987 GMT. Suspects. Despite these robberies and murders going on for months and over $100,000 stolen (worth over $250,000 today), none of Platts nor Matixs spouses, tenants, or acquaintances ever suspected the men of any wrongdoing. Law enforcement sources say the men are . 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. Losers. The crime scene in Dade county after the shootout. (Courtesy of Edmundo Mireles). The 90 percent casualty rate led to the Wound Ballistics Workshop and an ammunition study. You need to pay for the officers killed and injured. Miami FBI Special Agents Benjamin Grogan, left, and Jerry Dove. __.___ Page s! 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). Forensic Analysis of the April 11, 1986, FBI Firefight is truly a magnificent achievement, with never-before seen full color crime scene and autopsy photos, as well as painstakingly detailed graphic illustrations of not only the Miami killing field, but the wounds Platt and Matix received. The Players Army buddies Michael Platt and William Matix had a lot in common. 02:14. Test 6: Plywood at 10 feet. Meanwhile, SA Manauzzi was hit on his back and on his head by a shotgun blast from Matix while Platt simultaneously fired his Mini-14 at SA Manauzzi who was struck and injured. You teach hate, this is what you get. Infamously known a the 1986 Miami Shootout forever changed law enforcement training, equipment and tactics throughout the United States. The FBI on Wednesday named the man who shot five agents, killing two, as they tried to execute a search . After knocking off a string of banks over several months and attempting a few armored car heists, they eventually made a mistake. A Trans Am can be seen to the left (Photo FBI). Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! It is an odd discrepancy though. Popular content related to Johnny Rebel & Rockabilly. Before the infamous shootout that took place on April 11th, the two robbers, Michael Lee Platt and William Russel Matix had both served in the United States Army as military police as part of the 101st Airborn Division in Fort Campbell Kentucky. Five more FBI men were wounded in the shootout Friday, April 11, 1986 on a residential street in Kendall just south of the Sunniland Shopping Center. Despite the injuries, Platt continued to return fire with both his revolver and rifle and was struck several more times in the process. Updated: Jan 15, 2023 / 10:34 PM EST. Test 8: Automobile glass at 20 yards. However, the .40 round is still in use today. Below is a brief description of some of the preceding robberies attributed to Matix and Platt. In the tests where hollow point bullets had to penetrate barriers like dry wall and plywood, expansion was rare. 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 . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The FBIs firepower, in blue, wouldve been much greater had the entire collection of agents on area stakeouts that day arrived at the shootout. One FBI Vehicle (right) forced the Platt/Matix Vehicle (middle) into a tree ending the car chase and began the shootout. Thats why Petty focuses on training. Editor's Note: On April 11, 1986, in Miami, Florida, eight FBI agents and two bank robbers engaged in a five-minute gunfight. April 25, 1986. Miami Shootout, with Ed Mireles Jr., FBI Agent (ret) Ed Mireles Jr., retired FBI, joined The Protectors Podcast to talk about his career, including his recovery from being seriously wounded in one of the most famous shootouts in U.S. history. 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. 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. The morning in question was April 11, 1986 in a duplex driveway in Miami, Florida. It wasnt until 2015, almost 20 years later, that ballistic technology had advanced enough to warrant the FBIs return to the 9mm. Im not going to go into all those details because Paul does it so much better, along with a few well-taken demonstrations. 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. Twice (once in the main text and once in the firepower photo caption), the article notes the agents had "five revolvers," yet the photo poses *six* revolvers in FBI firepower. The two bad guys, Platt and Matix, were killed. At a recent presentation for armed citizens and law enforcement, Mireles shared some from his personal experience with the group that included the following: The felons recognized they were being followed by the FBI and tried to evade them by making a series of turns during the vehicle chase prior to the shooting. This article is within the scope of WikiProject Death, . Mireles and his fellow agents performed extraordinarily well in a dynamic, dangerous and difficult fight. However, this did not stop Platt. And as the pair attempted to start the Buick, Mireles pulled his .357 revolver and fired six rounds, killing Matix by severing his spinal cord, and killing the already fatally wounded Platt with a shot to the chest. These two had some great parents. 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. It is, after all, one of the most infamous incidents in FBI history. I had nothing to do with that project except observe. 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. Mireles reports that discussing the shooting and its lasting emotional and physical effects with the other agents who were there was a great help. 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. Mireles was gravely wounded during the fight, but never gave up. Photo by Miami-Dade PD.jpg. Paperback. January 10th, 1986 Another Armored Car is attacked by Platt and Matix with one of them blasting the guard with #7 shot as he opened the rear door. During the crash Platt and Matix were pinned between a civilian Oldsmobile Cutlass (left), a tree, and FBI Agent Manauzzis bureau Buick. Savage Arms 1911: Revolutionary Reliability. 2023 GunMag Warehouse. 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. But analysis and examination aside, in the end Mireles believes it ultimately came down to one key component that no improved training or weapons couldve changed: luck. While it can be disputed how much of this training contributed to the results of the shootout, what can be said is that despite their superior numbers, Platt and Matix were able to square off against the 8 agents for 5 minutes before being taken down. His arm was terribly damaged, and it took a heroic effort to save it. Six shots were fired at the back of the vehicle with two rounds missing and three rounds striking Matix in the head and killing him. The two robbery suspects, William Russell Matix and Michael Lee Platt were . The photo shows all the guns of all the agents patrolling Miami looking for the robbers, not just the guns of the agents involved in the shootout. Your email address will not be published. CNN . Get FBI Updates Vault Home FBI Miami Shooting, April 11, 1986 . Matix got off as many as three shots with his shotgun, and injured Special Agent Richard Manauzzi before he was shot by Supervisor Gordon McNeil and temporarily sidelined. The Miami Shootout, as the now notorious event has come to be known, demonstrated with lethal accuracy just how behind the weapons and tactics curve the FBI was in 1986. . Twice (once in the main text and once in the firepower photo caption), the article notes the agents had five revolvers, yet the photo poses *six* revolvers in FBI firepower. Welcome to Autopsyfiles.org - Home Page - Autopsy Reports of . (FBI). This incident is fairly familiar to folks in the firearms and law enforcement communities, if for no other reason than the development of the .40 S&W cartridge by the FBI in the wake of the apparent failures of the 9mm Luger round in the firefight. On the morning of April 11, 198625 years ago todayone of the deadliest and most violent shoot-outs in FBI history unfolded . Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. FBI Fun and Games! Special Agents (SA) John Hanlon, Edmundo Mireles, Gilbert Orrantia, Ron Risner, McNeil, Grogan, and Dove fired back with their service revolvers, shotguns, and pistols. What follows is an excerpt from Chapter 16 of the book, titled: Five Minutes that Changed the Bureau. FBI cars are not marked, so you cant have a shotgun racked in the front seat area without drawing attention to the car. This study dramatically altered the way law enforcement thought about handgun ammunition. 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