No. of Recommendations: 2
Twenty years ago, I took heat for saying the US was becoming a very large, heavily armed, aggressive, banana republic.</i<>
Here's where it started. I well remember this, because the discussions conjured up memories of seeing the militaristic well armed and armored guards for the Bank in Nicaragua. Struck me at 16 because I'd never seen that.
AI Overview
The 1997 North Hollywood shootout is the most prominent incident where Los Angeles police officers were outgunned. On February 28, 1997, two heavily armed and armored bank robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu, engaged in a 44-minute gun battle with the LAPD.
The lasting impact
The North Hollywood shootout dramatically changed the equipment and tactics of American law enforcement.
Weapon upgrades: Following the event, police departments nationwide began equipping patrol officers with higher-powered rifles, such as the AR-15, to better combat heavily armed threats.
Improved training: The incident led to more advanced training for patrol officers, including tactical maneuvers and communication for high-intensity situations.
Militarization of police: The Pentagon provided military-grade rifles to the LAPD, a practice that soon expanded to police forces in other cities across the country.
SWAT teams came into being after the WATS riots and the Texas Tower shooting. APCs were acquired as the military upgraded.
