LAPD North Hollywood Shootout audio

[Guest guest]

As dispatchers and trainers, we can often benefit from " war stories, " from

listening to other dispatchers and agencies over the scanner, or from video

and audiotapes of serious or complex incidents. One of the most serious in

recent memory was the infamous LAPD " North Hollywood Shootout " on February

28, 1997.

I've been able to obtain a copy of the entire 42-minute recording of the

battle between an army of outgunned LAPD officers and two heavily-armed,

armor-clad bank robbers. This actual recording from the Los Angeles Police

radio begins with one or two minutes of routine, weekday-morning police

calls, and then explodes!

From the first officer's call for help for a possible " 211 (robbery) in

progress, " you'll hear more units arrive, and multiple officers start

calling for help as the automatic gunfire cracks in the background.

Then a Sergeant, who's been directing the other officers, yells into his

radio that HE'S been shot, along with another officer near him. Seconds

later he comes back on the air, in one of many episodes of true bravery that

day, " My wound isn't serious, it's in my upper arm, " and he resumes his

duties of directing the men and women under his command.

Check out http://www.snowcrest.net/marnells/officer.htm to hear (and

download) an 8-minute excerpt of the event. If you wish, you can purchase

the entire 42-minute audio CD...information is on the page.

This type of incident could happen in ANY jurisdiction, large or small,

urban or rural. Will your department and your dispatchers - and YOU - be

ready? This will leave you speechless...and thinking.

Harry

pulledpins@...