If you did not see it first-hand on television Friday, than you have probably seen the many clips that have been rerun since then. No one will soon forget the image of two heavily armed individuals spraying the street outside the Bank of America in North Hollywood with gunfire. Nor will anyone forget the sound it made; the rolling machine guns followed by the stagnant echo of the lone bullets shot from the guns of police on the scene.
Not only were police officers and civilians wounded by these highly professional bank robbers who drove the same car to rob the Hollywood bank that they have driven to rob previous banks, but Los Angeles was made to realize that even the shotguns and bullet-proof vests used by police in emergency situations are no match for the semi-automatic weapons that criminals have continuous access to.
Anyone who saw the scene unfold as it happened live most likely saw the fear on the faces of the police officers as the gunfire continued, and witnessed the wounding of innocent victims who fell into the line of fire.
Miraculously, no one was killed except the two who waged the war, catching an entire city off-guard with their violent attempts to take some cops down with them. It was quite obvious both of them had a pact to go all the way with their crimes, which ranged from armed robbery to attempted murder. They would have rather died than go to jail.
However, 11 cops and six civilians were wounded and although the injuries ranged in seriousness, it is alarming how much damage two people can do when they catch a city off-guard with that extreme caliber of ammunition in their possession.
The truth is the officers of the Los Angeles Police Department were not prepared for the mini-massacre that occurred, and they will continue to remain unprepared unless they become equipped with weapons equivalent to the AK-47’s that Larry Philips and Emil Matasareanu used on Friday.
Although there were more cops than gunmen in that particular situation, the police officers were outgunned and their lives placed in serious jeopardy; so serious that a few officers had to acquire weapons from a neighborhood gun shop in order to retaliate more effectively.
And to think, it was the LAPD, under main directions of Scott La Chasse, the No. 2 LAPD leader in the Valley, who organized the whole effort to pull the city together on all ends, from the media situation, police operations, planning and intelligence, tactics, investigation, traffic and medical response, as well as rescue efforts for the wounded.
On that afternoon, the officers of the LAPD reminded the world of the difficulty and precision necessary in being an officer of the law, especially in a city as difficult to maintain as L.A. They executed their jobs tremendously, regardless of the intensity and the risks involved with the spontaneous outpour of bullets aimed at them and anyone else who happened to be in the general vicinity.
Anyone watching would agree, the police officers were the heroes of the day.
But what about every day? Police officers, especially LAPD officers, get such a bad rap for all the things the public deems as possible wrongdoing. However, it seems that nine times out of 10, they are just doing their jobs to the best of their capacities. There are instances of poor conduct by police, which are usually brought to the public eye and criticized to no end, but there are many more instances of good things police officers do that they do not get credit for.
Think about it – who do you call when your house is getting broken in to? Who do you call when your neighbor is beating the hell out of his wife on the front lawn? Who do you call when riots break out in the school or in the heart of the city? Without police officers, there would be total chaos.
So the next time you call a cop a “pig” or speak against them about some fabricated conspiracy theory, remember their actions of bravery last Friday and the tears shed by officers for fear of their wounded partners’ lives. Remember, the battle they fought last week is not unlike the ones they fight every day.
Raechel Fittante, a junior journalism major, is editor in chief of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at fittante@ulvacs.ulaverne.edu.
