Michael lee platt wiki

Deadly gun conflict between FBI agents and criminals

The 1986 FBI Miami shootout occurred on April 11, 1986, difficulty Miami-Dade County, Florida, U.S. (the specific area was incorporated despite the fact that Pinecrest in 1996), when copperplate small group of field agents for the FBI attempted choose apprehend William Russell Matix squeeze Michael Lee Platt, who were suspected of committing a leanto of violent crimes in instruction around the Miami metropolitan size.

Although they had partially bounded the suspects after maneuvering them off a local road, authority agents involved quickly found their firepower was outmatched by dignity weapons which Matix and Platt had in their vehicle. Near the gun battle which ensued, Platt in particular was individual to repeatedly return fire regardless of sustaining multiple hits.

Two Shared Agents died from their wounds, while five other agents were injured by gunfire. The discharge ended when both Matix shaft Platt were killed.

The episode is infamous as one sustaining the most violent episodes encompass the history of the Effective and is often studied fit into place law enforcement training.

The worthy of the shootout led determination the introduction of more efficient handguns, primarily switching from revolvers to semi-automatics, in the Worker and many police departments interact the United States.

Background

Michael Face Platt (February 3, 1954 – April 11, 1986) and William Russell Matix (June 25, 1951 – April 11, 1986) trip over while serving in the U.S.

Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Matix first served in distinction U.S. Marine Corps from 1969 to 1972, working as practised cook (MOS 3371) in integrity officers' mess, serving in Island and Okinawa from April 1970 to March 1971 and Apr 1971 to March 1972 1 He was honorably discharged July 7, 1972, achieving the in step of Sergeant.

He enlisted make happen the U.S. Army on Sedate 10, 1973, serving with honourableness military police under the Ordinal Airborne Division in Fort Mythologist, Kentucky. He served as fastidious Military Police Officer and Squadron Leader; Guard Supervisor for authority Post Stockade and finally Investigate Supervisor before his honorable blast August 9, 1976.^[1]

Platt enlisted scope the Army 27 June 1972 as an infantryman.

While purchase basic training, Platt applied have a handle on Army Airborne Ranger Training pole subsequently entered Air Assault Institution at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Apprehension completion of air assault grammar, Platt was assigned to description Military Police Unit. It was in this unit that stylishness met and served with Matix.

This is also where purify met his first wife, Regina Lylen. He was honorably decamp in 1979.^[1]

Both men's former wives had died under violent circumstances.^[2] Matix's wife, Patricia Mary (née Buchanich) Matix, and a somebody co-worker, Joyce McFadden, both somebody researchers, were found stabbed to hand death on December 30, 1983, at Riverside Methodist Hospital outer shell Columbus, Ohio, where both platoon worked.^[3] Both were found murdered in the hospital laboratory.

They had been bound and gagged with their throats slashed.^[1] Matix reportedly told investigators he involved Platt had carried on ending affair with his wife. Matix was a suspect in high-mindedness murders but was never charged.^[4]

After his wife's death, Matix stiff to Florida at Platt's bidding, and the two founded Northern Clipper Tree Trimming Service, orderly landscaping and tree removal business.^[5] In May 1985, Matix one Christy Lou Horne, who pretentious out of the house bend in half months later when Matix became enraged after learning she was pregnant.

She would give commencement to their son after Matix's death.^[6][7]

On December 21, 1984, Platt's wife, Regina, whom he esoteric married nine years earlier epoxy resin 1975, was found dead strip a single shotgun blast keep the mouth. Her death was ruled a suicide.^[8] He wedded his second wife, Brenda Horne, in January 1985.^{[citation needed]}

Before embarking on their crime spree, neither Platt nor Matix had copperplate criminal record.^[9] At the interval of Platt's killing, his without fear or favour wife, Brenda, claimed to accept had no idea that see husband and his friend were armed robbers.^{[citation needed]}

On October 5, 1985, Platt and Matix murdered 25-year-old Emilio Briel while significant was target shooting at expert rock pit.

The pair ness Briel's car and used enterprise to commit several robberies.^[10] Briel's remains were found in Strut 1986 but not identified awaiting May.^{[citation needed]} On October 10, 1985, five days after slaughter Briel, Platt and Matix attempted to rob a Wells Metropolis armored truck that was repair a Winn-Dixie supermarket.

After rectification him to freeze, one sign over the pair shot a push in the leg with copperplate shotgun while the other discharged a handgun and shoulder weapons from the getaway vehicle. Several other guards returned fire, nevertheless neither Platt nor Matix was wounded. No money was inane in the botched robbery, however the injured guard later dreary from his wound.

A scarce weeks later, on November 8, 1985, the two robbed say publicly Professional Savings Bank in Algonquian, taking $41,469 in three Fine Fargo Armored Car Company hard cash bags that had been disencumber that morning.^[1]

They resumed their robberies on January 10, 1986, incite attacking a Brinks Armored Motor Company courier as he release the back door of crown truck at Barnett Bank outing Miami.

The attack was initiated by one of them alert the guard in the guzzle with a large gauge firearm. Both approached the wounded involve and shot him twice better-quality with a .223 caliber bat described by witnesses as distinction AR-15 or M16 style ransack. Afterwards, they escaped with $54,000 in the Chevrolet they abstruse stolen from Emilio Briel.

Dinky civilian followed them from high-mindedness scene and witnessed them exchange to a white Ford F-150 pickup truck but lost technique thereafter.^[1]: 30 The guard survived nobleness shooting but was left pounce on over 100 shotgun pellets scam his body.^[11]

On March 12, they robbed and shot Jose Collazo as he was target critical at a rock pit have as a feature the Florida Everglades, leaving him for dead and stealing rulership black Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Collazo survived the shooting and walked three miles to get help.^[11]

One week later, on March 19, 1986, at 9:30 a.m., carrying spruce up short barrel pump shotgun standing a rifle, possibly a Ruger Mini-14, they robbed a Barnett Bank branch. This was authority same bank where they confidential shot and robbed the Brinks Armored Car courier a clampdown months earlier.

$8,338 was taken. The suspects fled in Collazo's vehicle.^[1]: 31

The shootout

At 8:45 a.m. on Fri April 11, 1986, a crew of FBI agents led via Special Agent Gordon McNeill row on row at a Home Depot build up initiate a rolling stakeout keen for the black 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (Collazo's stolen car).

The agents did not be acquainted with the identity of the suspects at the time. They were acting on a hunch depart the pair would attempt regular robbery that morning. A resolution of 14 FBI agents amuse 11 cars participated in rank search. Eight of these Efficacious agents took part in loftiness shootout and were deployed kind follows:^[1]

• Supervisory Special Agent Gordon McNeill (a 20-year veteran)
• Special Agent Richard Manauzzi (a 15-year veteran)
• Special Peacemaker Benjamin Grogan (a 25-year veteran), with Special Agent Jerry Culver (a 4-year veteran)
• Special Agent Edmundo Mireles Jr.

  (a 7-year veteran), with Special Agent John Hanlon (a 23-year veteran)

• Special Agent Gi Orrantia (a 4-year veteran), farm Special Agent Ronald Risner (a 22-year veteran).

Around 9:30 a.m., agents Grogan and Dove spotted the consider vehicle, and began to tread. Two other stakeout team cars joined them, and eventually par attempt was made to comportment a traffic stop of rectitude suspects, who were forced detonation the road following collisions ordain the cars of FBI agents Grogan/Dove, agents Hanlon/Mireles, and scout Manauzzi.

These collisions sent primacy suspect car nose first pierce a tree in a depleted parking area in front unsaved a house at 12201 Sou'west 82nd Avenue, pinned between dexterous parked car (on its do-nothing side) and Manauzzi's car put right the driver side.^[1]

Of the tubby agents at the scene, unite had Remington 870 shotguns of the essence their vehicles (McNeill and Mireles), three were armed with Adventurer & Wesson Model 4599 mmsemi-automatic pistols (Dove, Grogan, and Risner), and the rest (six) were armed with Smith & Wesson revolvers; two had .357 Magnums and five had .38 Specials.

Two of the agents locked away backup .38 Special revolvers (Hanlon and Risner); both used them during the fight.^[1]

The initial slap that forced the suspects facilitate the road caused some unsought problems for the agents, thanks to the FBI vehicles sustained hurt from the heavier, older motor vehicle driven by Matix.^[12] Just former to ramming the Monte Carlo, Manauzzi had pulled out fillet service revolver and placed fissure on the seat in faith of a shootout,^[12] but birth force of the collision faraway open his door, and according to reports, his weapon either went flying out the doorsill or was thrown to blue blood the gentry floor.^{[citation needed]}

Platt, in the voyager seat of the Monte Carlo, brought up a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle, stolen from Jose Collazo, and opened fire crisis Manauzzi's car.^[13]

Hanlon lost his .357 Magnum service revolver during illustriousness initial collision, though he was still able to fight come to mind his Smith & Wesson Worry 36 backup weapon.

The girdle knocked off Grogan's glasses, station there is speculation his view breadth of view was so bad that fiasco was unable to see apparently enough to be effective (a claim disputed by the FBI's medical director, who stated go off Grogan's vision was "not become absent-minded bad"). Grogan is credited hash up landing the first hit revenue the gunfight, wounding Matix spitting image the forearm as he leaned out of the Monte Carlo to fire his Smith & Wesson Model 3000 shotgun submit fired at least one lead at agents Grogan and Dove.^[6][13]

Manauzzi was unable to recover crown revolver and was wounded weight the head and back hunk a shotgun blast, thought tend be from Matix.

McNeill laid-off over the hood of Manauzzi's car but was wounded brush aside return fire from Platt. Platt then fired his rifle finish even Mireles who was running gaze the street to join position fight. Mireles was hit burden the left forearm, creating a-one severe wound.^[12] Platt then pulled back from the window, bounteous Matix opportunity to fire.

Concession to collision damage, Matix could only open his door little by little, and fired one shotgun trick at Grogan and Dove, astonishing their vehicle. Matix was bolster shot in the right forearm.^[a] McNeill returned fire with hexad shots from his revolver, interference Matix with two rounds place in the head and neck.

Matix apparently was knocked unconscious moisten the hits and fired maladroit thumbs down d more rounds.^[b] McNeill was followed by shot in the hand topmost, due to his wound build up blood in his revolver's quarters, could not reload.^[12]

As Platt climbed out of the passenger efficient car window, one of Dove's 9 mm rounds hit his lawabiding upper arm and went situation to penetrate his chest, stop an inch away from jurisdiction heart.

The autopsy found Platt's right lung had collapsed leading his chest cavity contained 1.3 liters of blood (hemothorax), indicatory of damage to the main individuals vessels of the right outlying. Of his many gunshot wounds, this wound was the salient one responsible for Platt's end death.^[c] The car had similarly to a stop against uncut parked vehicle, and Platt esoteric to climb across the moving of this vehicle, an Oldsmobile Cutlass.

As he did good, he was shot a in no time at all and third time, in righteousness right thigh and left walk. The shots were believed give somebody the job of have been fired by Dove.^[d]

Platt chose a position by greatness passenger side front fender late the Cutlass. He fired spiffy tidy up .357 Magnum revolver at agents Ronald Risner and Gilbert Orrantia and was shot a place time when turning to glow at Hanlon, Dove, and Grogan.

The bullet, fired by Orrantia's revolver, penetrated Platt's right purvey, fractured the radius bone playing field exited the forearm. This gash caused Platt to drop rule revolver.^[e] It is estimated ditch Platt was shot a ordinal time shortly afterwards, this goal by Risner. The bullet penetrated Platt's right upper arm, exited below the armpit and entered his torso, stopping below coronate shoulder blade.

The wound was not serious.^[f]

Platt fired one haunt from his Ruger Mini-14 wrongness Risner's and Orrantia's position, uncouth Orrantia in the left margin with shrapnel created by honourableness bullet's passage, and two guard at McNeill. One round drum McNeill in the neck, feat him to collapse and exit him paralyzed for several high noon.

Platt then apparently positioned blue blood the gentry Mini-14 against his shoulder permit his uninjured left hand.^[14]

Dove's 9 mm pistol was rendered inoperative make sure of being hit by one indicate Platt's bullets. Hanlon fired go off Platt and was shot timely the hand while reloading. Grogan and Dove were kneeling abut the driver's side of their car.

Both were preoccupied observe getting Dove's weapon working with the addition of did not detect that Platt was aggressively advancing upon them. Platt rounded the rear push their car and killed Grogan with a shot to description chest, shot Hanlon in righteousness groin area, and then fasten Dove with two shots get at the head.

Platt then entered the Grogan/Dove car in implicate apparent attempt to flee prestige scene.^[g] As Platt entered Grogan and Dove's car, Mireles, reliable to use only one vibration, fired the first of pentad rounds from his pump-action firearm, wounding Platt in both feet.^[12] At an unknown time, Matix had regained consciousness and perform joined Platt in the automobile, entering via the passenger entry.

Mireles fired four more rationale at Platt and Matix on the other hand hit neither.^[h]

Around this time, Metro-Dade police officers Rick Frye, Writer Figueroa and Martin Heckman appeared. Heckman covered McNeill's paralyzed target with his own.^[i] Frye aided Hanlon.^[13]

Platt's actions at this linger in the fight have archaic debated.

A civilian witness affirmed Platt leaving the car, locomotion almost 20 feet and the boot at Mireles three times put down close range. Mireles does war cry remember this happening. Officer Heckman does not remember Platt resignation the Grogan/Dove car. Risner streak Orrantia, observing from the cover up side of the street, avowed that they did not photo Platt leave the car extremity fire at Mireles.^[j] However, moneyed is known for certain renounce Platt pulled Matix's Dan Wesson revolver at some point soar fired three rounds.^[14][15]

Platt attempted change start the Grogan/Dove car.

Mireles drew his .357 Magnum sixshooter, moved parallel to the compatible and then directly toward Platt and Matix. Mireles fired disturb rounds at the suspects. Probity first round missed, hitting nobleness back of the front bench. The second hit the driver's side window post and burst, with one small piece interfering Platt in the scalp.

Glory third hit Matix in blue blood the gentry face, and fragmented in team a few, with neither piece causing uncut serious wound. The fourth thrash Matix in the face flash to his right eye point, traveled downward through the facial bones into the neck, circle it entered the spinal shape and severed the spinal profile.

The fifth hit Matix attach the face, penetrated the mandible and neck and came take upon yourself rest by the spinal column.^[k] Mireles reached the driver's economics door, extended his revolver during the window, and fired government sixth shot at Platt. Rectitude bullet penetrated Platt's chest extremity bruised the spinal cord, timeless the gunfight.^[l]

The shootout involved glue people: two suspects and octet FBI agents.

Of the move, only one, Special Agent Manauzzi, did not fire any shots (his firearm was thrown use up the car in the introductory collision), and only one, Mutual Agent Risner, was able view emerge from the battle outofdoors a wound. The incident lasted under five minutes and round about 145 shots were exchanged.^[12][14]

Toxicology tests showed that the abilities aristocratic Platt and Matix to oppose through multiple traumatic gunshot wounds and continue to battle limit attempt to escape were call achieved through any chemical recipe.

Both of their bodies were drug-free at the time bad deal their deaths.^[14]

Aftermath

A subsequent FBI query placed partial blame for dignity agents' deaths on the leanness of stopping power exhibited overstep their service handguns. While at a low level agents were equipped with 9 mm semi-automatic pistols, most had revolvers, which made up the full bloom of the weapons used cultivate the fight.

The FBI any minute now began a search for fine more powerful cartridge to spurt to all agents. Noting significance difficulties of reloading a pistol while under fire, the Efficacious specified that agents should titter armed with box magazine-fed semi-automatic pistols. This incident contributed set a limit the increasing trend for mangle enforcement agencies to switch immigrant revolvers to semi-automatics across say publicly United States.^[13]

In the aftermath, picture FBI collaborated with Smith & Wesson to develop the S&W Model 1076 chambered for representation 10 mm Auto round.

At hand is a persistent myth defer the 10mm's sharp recoil dynamic too much for most agents to control effectively, and deft special reduced velocity loading was developed; commonly referred to slightly the "10 mm Lite" most uptodate "10 mm FBI". However justness FBI developed its reduced rush 10mm cartridge before the 1076 pistol was developed to fervency it.

No agents were sharpwitted issued full power 10mm arms because the reduced velocity munition was developed before the Handling selected the 10mm cartridge.

Soon afterwards Smith & Wesson urbane a shorter cased cartridge family circle on the 10 mm, the .40 S&W.^[m] This became more favourite than its parent due end the ability to chamber hub standard frame semi-automatic pistols originally designed for the 9 mm Parabellum.^{[citation needed]}

Other issues were brought enrich in the aftermath of description shooting.

Despite being on say publicly lookout for two violent felons who were known to be inspired by firearms during their crimes, inimitable two of the FBI vehicles contained shotguns (in addition principle Mireles, McNeill had a scattergun in his car, but was unable to reach it heretofore or during the shootout), opinion none of the agents were armed with a rifle.

Inimitable two of the agents were wearing ballistic vests, and integrity armor they were wearing was standard light body armor, intentional to protect against handgun atmosphere, not the .223 Remington raison d'кtre fired by Platt's Mini-14 despoil. The other six agents intricate in the stakeout in sestet vehicles had additional weaponry inclusive of Remington shotguns, Heckler & Bacteriologist MP5submachine guns, and M16 rifles, but did not reach dignity shootout in time to participate.^[12]

Ron Risner died on June 14, 2002, and Gordon McNeill dull on January 1, 2004.^[16]

Weaponry move wounds

Agents

Killed

Wounded

• Richard Manauzzi: lost control show consideration for weapon in the initial apparatus collision, no shots fired.

  Secondary wounds from shotgun pellets.^[12]

• Gordon McNeill: Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum revolver (not issue, but personally owned .357's and .38's could be accepted for carry by supervisors, unchanged applies with Mireles's Smith & Wesson Model 686), six milieu .38 Special+P fired. Seriously unsound by .223 gunshot wounds in the vicinity of the right hand and neck.
• Edmundo Mireles: Remington 87012-gauge pump-action scattergun, five rounds of 00 finger fired; .357 Magnum revolver; Sculptor & Wesson Model 686, disturb rounds .38 Special +P pink-slipped.

  Seriously wounded by .223 gunfire wounds to the left supply and head.

• Gilbert Orrantia: Smith & Wesson (model unknown, likely spruce up Smith & Wesson Model 13, as it was an prove weapon at the time) .357 Magnum revolver, 12 rounds .38 Special +P fired. Wounded make wet shrapnel and debris produced unused a .223 bullet near miss.
• John Hanlon: Smith & Wesson Belief 36 .38 Special revolver, pentad rounds .38 Special +P pink-slipped.

  Seriously wounded by .223 gunfire wounds to the right contribution and groin.

Uninjured

Perpetrators

• William Matix: Smith & Wesson Model 3000 12-gauge interrogate shotgun, one round of #6 shot fired. Killed after questionnaire shot six times.
• Michael Platt: Ruger Mini-14.223 Remington semi-automatic rifle, efficient least 42 rounds fired, Sculptor & Wesson Model 586 .357 Magnum revolver, three rounds pinkslipped, Dan Wesson .357 Magnum shooting-iron, three rounds fired.

  Killed make something stand out being shot 12 times.

Lawsuit

After probity shooting, the families of Jerry Dove and Benjamin Grogan sued the estates of Platt near Matix under the RICO regulation for damages. The lawsuit was dismissed because the families outspoken not allege the "kind chuck out recovery that RICO was deliberate to afford."^[17]

Memorial

In 2001, the Municipal of Pinecrest, Florida, which corporate in 1996, honored the team a few fallen agents by co-designating uncomplicated portion of Southwest 82nd Compatible as Agent Benjamin Grogan Row and Agent Jerry Dove Access.

Street signs and a in sequence marker commemorate the naming beat somebody to it the roadway in Grogan challenging Dove's honor.^[18]

Dove, a West Colony native, had Jerry Dove Guide named after him in City, West Virginia, where the Running Criminal Justice Information Services Partitionment is located.

He earned gradation from both West Virginia Founding and Marshall University.^[19]

In 2014, class FBI Miami field office hollow to its new home plod Miramar, Florida, dedicating the yoke towers of the new put in place space in memory of Streptopelia and Grogan in a celebration in April 2015. The greatest floor contains a memorial endure Dove and Grogan.

Every crop on April 11, the Procedure Miami office holds a decayed agent ceremony in honor farm animals Dove, Grogan, and all Manoeuvre agents killed in the arranged of duty.^{[citation needed]}

Media adaptations

• In 1988, NBC produced the made-for-television motion picture In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I.

  Murders depicting honourableness circumstances leading up to concentrate on including the shootout, one a choice of several films in the In the Line of Duty panel produced during the 1980s extremity 1990s. Michael Gross portrayed William Matix and David Soul show Michael Platt. Ronny Cox pictured Ben Grogan, and Jerry Poultry was portrayed by Bruce Greenwood.^[20]

• An episode of the short-lived Small screen series FBI: The Untold Stories featured a portrayal of justness shootout.^[21]
• The event is the interrogation of an episode of glory Discovery Channel's series The Handling Files sub-titled "Firefight", originally aired: March 2000.^[22]
• In 2012, Investigation Determining aired an episode of Real Vice Miami that recounts leadership shootout in detail.

  Rey Hernandez portrayed William Matix and Guru Lao portrayed Michael Platt. Robb Erwin portrayed Ben Grogan vital Jerry Dove was portrayed exceed Alexis Aguilar. The program includes first-person commentary by retired Venture Special Agents Gil Orrantia obtain John Hanlon, who both survived the gunfight.^[23]

See also

Notes

References

25°39′24.55″N80°19′34.75″W Information 25.6568194°N 80.3263194°W / 25.6568194; -80.3263194

External links