In case you couldn't already tell, I have nothing but respect for both Mr. Phillips and Mr. Matasareanu. I feel that what they did took a tremendous amount of courage, conviction, determination, and honor. These pages are my best attempt to honor their memories. Thank you.
Wearing All Black
A good move. I read somewhere once that the reason SWAT teams wear all black during their dynamic entries (serving warrants, searches and seizures, and such) is because it makes an intimidating first impression.
Wearing Level IIIA Body Armor
Again, a wise move. Any lower level of body armor and police bullets might very well have penetrated. However, this was also a bad move, in a way. Their vests were extra large, and therefore were also bulky. This greatly hindered their movement, which made it hard for them to duck for cover quickly when being fired at. I also believe they should have worn Kevlar helmets, so as to avoid the ominous head shot. But, when its all said and done, I think their armor choice was adequate; over the top in one respect, and not enough in another.
I recently found out that the two men had also cut up Kevlar vests and had sewn the pieces together in such ways that they would also cover their arms and legs. This meant that both Mr. Phillips and Mr. Matasareanu were literally covered with body armor from neck to toe. Obviously this was a superb idea, but it also interfered with their ability to move fluidly. But with superior firepower, tactics, and body armor, they really didn't have much of a need to run around ducking for cover.
Using Fully Autmoatic Assault Rifles
One of their best ideas. The AK-47 can fire ten rounds a second, and is so loud that it can strike fear in even the most hardened of police officers. When officers heard that fabled Rat tat tat tat they knew they were dealing with serious men with serious intentions. Also, the bank guards and patrons would immediately have known that both Mr. Matasareanu and Mr. Phillips meant business as soon as the AK's were fired into the ceiling. So, although the AK's were very capable of taking lives once the robbery was taken to the streets, they were so deafening and intimidating in the bank itself that they practically guaranteed no heroes during the robbery, and hence, had the LAPD not arrived, would probably have saved lives.
But once the robbery went wrong and the LAPD showed up, the rifles went from being intimidation weapons to high-powered, full auto assault weapons. Their powerful 7.62x39 mm full metal jacket rounds were capable of piercing police body armor from over 200 yards. And at 600 rounds per minute, they were sure to have kept police and civilian heads down while being fired.
Once the Robbery Spilled Out Into the Streets
What happened after the two men exited the bank baffles me. To the best of my knowledge, at the exact moment the two men left the bank, the LAPD had approximately 15 patrol cars deployed about the four sides of the bank. Thats an average of four per side. The two men, upon coming through the front doors, would only have seen, at most, five squad cars. It is known that as soon as police officers made their presence known, the robbers opened fire. It is also known that police officers did not return fire, in fear of drawing more bullets to their location, where they also had civilians ducking for cover behind their cars.
So here's what I can't understand. The two robbers shot the hell out of the police cruisers directly in front of the bank. With the police ducking for cover and not returning fire, all the two men needed to do was get in their getaway car and drive off, firing randomly and sporadically as they went, ensuring that everyone would keep their heads down. But instead, they held their ground and continued to fire at police vehicles, while more and more officers showed up every minute. The only thing I can figure is perhaps the men had scanners, and knew they were surrounded, and that they fealt escape was an illusion. Otherwise, they could have gotten away within a few minutes of exiting the bank. Or, perhaps they wanted to die.....
Mr. Phillips Going Off On His Own
After exchanging gunfire with police for a few minutes, Mr. Phillips made an attempt to flee on foot. As he did, he fired his AK at any police officers he saw or suspected. He walked not more than a meter from a police car as he fled on the sidewalk down the street from the bank. A few more paces down the sidewalk, and Mr. Phillips' AK jammed on him. He threw the now useless AK underneath a parked semi truck and had to switch to using his handgun. Advancing on a police position with his pistol firing, Mr. Phillips' gun was shot from his hand as police frantically returned fire. After picking his pistol back up, Mr. Phillips shot himself the head. But the fact remains that he died first, and was practically out of guns and ammo when he did.
I can't see the logic in Mr. Philllps' actions, save for perhaps wanting to die. So why did Mr. Phillips leave the side of his partner? It should have been obvious that escape was impossible, and that the men had a better chance of a high body-count if they stuck together. Perhaps Mr. Phillips couldn't stand the knowledge that he was going to die that day, and wanted to hurry up and get it over with. Whatever his reasons, Mr. Phillips died many, many minutes before he absolutely had to.
Mr. Matasareanu's Actions
At least Mr. Matasareanu made an attempt at escape. He drove the getaway car down the street, firing randomly at police officers. Once the tires were shot out, he attempted to commandeer a truck in the street. He was seen transferring numerous weapons and ammunition from the getaway car's trunk to the truck, which further deepens the mystery as to why Mr. Phillips went off on his own.
But the truck wouldn't start, and as a police cruiser pulled up, Mr. Matasareanu was forced to abandon the vehicle and use the getaway car as cover. He emptied what little ammo he had left with the M-16 he took with him from the truck, and when his drum ran dry, he surrendered. He was shot 29 times by the time the shooting stopped at just before 10:00. And at 11:10 AM, Mr. Matasareanu was pronounced dead. That means that police let him bleed to death for more than an hour.
More in-depth reviewing when I get the time....