News Piece, FBI MIami shoot-out 1986

[Tom Givens]

On April 11, 1986, a squad of FBI agents were out looking specifically for two armed career criminals who had robbed, assaulted or murdered a number of people over a several month crime spree. When the agents found the duo, a fierce shoot-out ensued, leaving five agents wounded, two agents dead, and both subjects dead.

Here is a link to a well produced 32 minute news story from 1987 concerning this event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8BqndYwfJU

There are two breaks in the report for the insertion of commercials. The commercials are absent, just let the video keep rolling. Lots of good information here, including interviews with some of the surviving agents.

[SeriousStudent]

Thank you very much for the link.

[JohnO]

Mas Ayoob interview with 1986 Miami FBI gunfight survivor John Hanlon.

http://media.blubrry.com/proarms/p/c...roarms/065.mp3

[lwt16]

I read up on the "Miami Massacre/Shootout" back in the late 80s and early 90s in gun magazines.

If I am not mistaken (and please correct me if so), there were more than a few critics of how unprepared the agents were for this type of shootout. Agents Dove and Grogan, if I remember right, were both FBI SWAT and had access to MP5s and other hardware but for some reason or another they didn't grab them. It may have been an administrative thing but I read they knew they were dealing with felons that had histories of dropping the hammer on others.

Also reading that there were several Metro Dade PD units in the area but they didn't ask for help prior to the rolling roadblock.

Not to take anything away from these agent's sacrifice and who knows if any of that would have made a difference. I do remember reading that either Dove or Grogan delivered a non-survivable wound to Platt and somehow he kept going.....with a clean toxicology.

Regards.

[BJXDS]

Mr Givens does an excellent presentation/explanation on this during his Instructor course. Not to sidetrack this thread, but the North Hollywood shootout is very interesting as well. I believe there are valuable lessons to be learned by both LE and Civilians.

Bad shit like this just doesn't only happen on TV. Be prepared and stay vigillant, there are a LOT of Bad MoFo's running around.

[Peally]

Not to take anything away from these agent's sacrifice and who knows if any of that would have made a difference. I do remember reading that either Dove or Grogan delivered a non-survivable wound to Platt and somehow he kept going.....with a clean toxicology.

Regards.

It was a disaster all around, but that's why we learn from it.

[lwt16]

No doubt there were a bunch of lessons learned.

And after being in LE for 20 years I can see how policy might have played a role in certain aspects.

[TC215]

Here is a link to part of the FBI case file:

https://vault.fbi.gov/FBI%20Miami%20...1%20of%2011%20

It includes transcript of the radio traffic from that day. They were trying to get additional FBI units, and marked Miami units, and apparently got made by the bad guys. Went downhill from there.

[AMC]

The "non-survivable wound" thing was an eye opener for me early in my career, in that it clearly didn't mean "dead right now". Lost count of the number of people I saw shot who later died, that were talking or even ambulatory when I came on scene. One was a 26 year old prostitute shot in the heart point blank with a .380 Hydrashock by a nutjob who liked to bring hookers back to his apartment and hit them with a stun gun, then shackle and rape them. We figured he did it maybe 7-8 times before this one fought back and he shot her. She was running the hallway of that building screaming for help for like 5 minutes before we arrived. Was fully conscious, buck naked and bleeding when we did. She died in the ER from the "non-survivable" wound. People can be tough.

ETA: she wasn't a big girl either. Like 5'5", 125 lbs.

[BN]

Thanks, Tom.

There was a bootleg copy of a VHS tape floating around local Law Enforcement during that time period that was, I think, a training tape made by the FBI about the Miami shooting.

Interesting that this news video didn't say anything about the other Agents on scene that took cover and weren't injured. One of these agents shot one of the bad guys in the heart, but he didn't die until later. That was the famous 9mm Silvertip that was instrumental in the FBI going to 10mm.