One of the most violent days in LAPD history unfolded on live television on Feb. 28, 1997 when two bank robbers wearing body armor and wielding assault rifles engaged in a ferocious gunfight with officers on the streets of North Hollywood.
Events unfolded after attempted robbery at the Bank of America branch in North Hollywood. Forty-four minutes later, hundreds of rounds had been fired by the robbers carrying high-powered rifles and LAPD officers, most of whom were armed only with their handguns.
The two bank robbers, Larry Eugene Phillips Jr., 26, and Emil Matasareanu, 30, were killed.
After a bystander reported the robbery to authorities, responding officers were met with a barrage of gunfire from Phillips as he casually walked out of the bank and into the parking lot. Realizing how badly they were outgunned, some of the officers got rifles at nearby gun stores.
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SWAT officers were in downtown Los Angeles, about 18 minutes away, at a training exercise.
Matasareanu, shot twice in the bank parking lot, took cover in a getaway car and slowly drove toward Phillips, who continued walking and shooting.
Phillips was shot nearly a dozen times. His gun jammed when he was pinned down behind a car. He shot himself in the head, but an autopsy report noted the coroner could not determine whether he or police fired the fatal shot.
Matasareanu, shot several times in the legs, bled to death a short time later. His family later sued two police officers and the city, claiming the officers were indifferent to Matasareanu’s wounds at the scene and let him die. The case was declared a mistrial in 2000 and later dismissed.
Eleven officers and seven bystanders were injured .
Below, watch NBC4 News footage from that day.
Warning: Videos contain graphic images.
