1997 North Hollywood Shootout recollection (LONG!)

[Win231]

The claim for not letting paramedics into the area was due to reports of a third shooter from what I remember, not a possible bomb on the body. I can say that when LAPD first showed up at B&B they told us that three shooters were involved - two had left the bank and one was still inside. Not sure the dirty end of the stick should be pointed at LAPD for keeping folks safe until they were absolutely sure that all the shooters were accounted for.

If you review the video, you'll see several officers standing around, drinking soft drinks & chatting next to the shooter. Does that look like they were concerned about a "Third shooter?"

Not pointing the "Dirty end of the stick." Just saying the officers could have thought up a better explanation for keeping paramedics away than that ridiculous one...especially knowing they were on video. If they were concerned about a third shooter, they would have been behind cover, not standing next to the shooter, chatting casually. As a judge said, "If you're going to lie, at least season the lie so I can taste it."

[Citadelgrad87]

Major misinterpretation. Your blunder. The mindset I posted about doesn't apply to me; it applies to some individuals. I didn't say I won't criticize unethical business practices because they are in the firearms business. I said some people won't. I will criticize any unethical business - firearms or not.

Poor communication skills and blaming me?

That's cute.

And why the bizarre detour to the supply chain versus manufacturer non distinction?

[417atty]

I didn't say that the store didn't benefit from the auction. I said the store didn't see a dime from the sales. For those of you who are learning impaired that means that the store didn't get any of the proceeds from the sales of the firearms.

The store didn’t see a dime from the sales??? The store didn’t get any of the proceeds??? B&B took maybe $2,000 worth of rifles and shotguns and auctioned them off at ridiculous prices. IF they took in $100K at auction and then donated the proceeds to charity, B&B, also known as “the store,” got a tax credit for $102,000. The actual wholesale cost of the rifles and shotguns is purely speculative on my part as well as the amount they actually sold for. But you should get the point.

I read your account of what happened that day with great interest and I appreciate you taking the time to write it. I also read all the posts from people who had good experiences there. Why do you have a problem with me relating my negative experience? Are only those people with good experiences allowed to post here without offending you? My bad experience cost me about $2,000. Adjusted for inflation, that’s over $3,000 in today’s dollars. My story should be told and re-told every time a thread comes up regarding B&B. Unethical business practices should never be forgotten. It doesn’t matter if it’s ten, fifteen, or twenty years after it occurred.

Please don’t feel my posts are personally directed at you. You seem to be taking this personally because you worked there. But, like I said in my previous posts, I always had good experiences with the service and staff. That is until I got ripped off. Since you weren’t even there at the time I got ripped off, it couldn’t possibly have been you that took my guns. If you still feel hurt because I’m relating my negative experience, then maybe you should ask a fellow Calgunner to send you a tissue.

[417atty]

The firearms loaned to the LAPD were not fired to my knowledge and no one made any claims that they were. There was tremendous interest in those specific firearms and the decision to auction them off for charitable purposes was deemed to be the best way to make some good come out of a horrible situation.

I don't think they were but I can't say for sure

[Marquand]

I don't care how many bad experiences you post about B&B Sales. Hell, I had bad experiences there and I worked there. I'm not defending the store in the slightest. I'm defending my statements that certain things happened. You specifically claim that they didn't and question the validity of my words without a shred of proof. That's a dig at me, not the store.

Regardless, let's move on. Your explanation above is received and accepted. Thank you for taking the time to express your viewpoint and contributing to the thread and thank you for your service to our country.

[Marquand]

I don't think they were but I can't say for sure

Again, making a factual statement. I don't think the firearms were fired. I don't know for sure if they were or not because they went out dirty and came back dirty. I insinuate, suggest, or imply nothing other than exactly what I said.

Again, thanks for your contribution and thanks for your service to our country.

[417atty]

I don't care how many bad experiences you post about B&B Sales. Hell, I had bad experiences there and I worked there. I'm not defending the store in the slightest. I'm defending my statements that certain things happened. You specifically claim that they didn't and question the validity of my words without a shred of proof. That's a dig at me, not the store.

Regardless, let's move on. Your explanation above is received and accepted. Thank you for taking the time to express your viewpoint and contributing to the thread and thank you for your service to our country.

Very well then. And thank you for for telling us the inside story about what happened that day. It was a good read.

[I Swan]

Looks like he finally got the boot. He'd brag about having all sorts of cop buddies, how he was familiar with tactics and training, etc., but he was one of the biggest cop bashers on the board.

I think the owner of site got tired of his stirring the pot and bragging and looks like may be a permaban he was warned before. He was on my ignore list I got mainly tired of reading his bs. His usual MO was bashing those he deemed below his social/wealth status.

I had some negative B&B experiences too. My family and I had to be in their top level of customers but one of the managers decided to disrespect us and we never went back. They ended up going under less than a year later good riddance.

95% of my B&B purchases were made in the Westminster shop though, now it is like a mosque. I referred A LOT of people to that shop too I was working in a firearms related industry at the time I immediately stopped directing people there. Alother manager tried to make excuses and do damage control but I have almost 0 tolerance for being disrespected by a business.

[holt7153]

I was at the North Hollywood Home Depot on Sherman Way when this was going down. When I left the store I heard sirens and police had all the 170 onramps blocked, but I didn't know what was going on until I got home (at the time I lived 2 blocks away from B&B on Emelita Street and was there a lot). Until reading this thread I always thought B&B was shut down because of their actions on that day.

[dlombard]

Thank you for posting that story. I feel pretty special to have heard from someone who was actually there. I live in North Hollywood now (not near where the robbery attempt was made, but in the so-called arts district), but at the time, I was a 16 year old kid hearing about it the next day on the news. The coverage I saw didn't do it justice...

Back I was 21, and started to consider a career with the LAPD, I thought back to their darkest hour not considering the two riots: the 1997 North Hollywood Shootout. I knew ham radio operators at the time and they'd shared with me recorded audio of Division 15 (North Hollywood) and Division 9 (Van Nuys) recordings, and that was some of the most dramatic audio I've ever heard. I had been listening to then analog police radio for over a year and was familiar with the nomenclature and the cadence. I heard the occasional foot pursuit and even "shots fired" call, but the kind of exasperation you hear on the part of some of the officers will make your blood run cold. First, there are the original Division 16 Detectives (I think?) first to arrive Code 6 and transmit, "they've got the front of the entrance covered" after the initial 211 in progress call. All I could think when I heard that was, "that's what they thought..."

Very soon, things start to get out of hand. You're hearing people shout out "behind you!" and the RTO getting emotional to ask one of the Van Nuys patrolman (who's taken cover behind a tree with an obliterated thigh, bleeding out) to "hang in there" for the RAs who can't even get anywhere near the kill zone. Actual automatic gunfire is being heard On the radio.

Then I saw some of the video. Actual concrete on the side of the sidewalks in front of the street gutters; just whole chunks of them getting torn off by the incredible fire power of these ruthless killers. I used to drive a Caprice--those cars were MASSIVE and I saw these guys take one and just absolutely vanquish the thing. That 5.7 liter engine block is ENORMOUS, and it was completely destroyed.

After that day, I developed an unbreakable admiration and respect for the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department. They caught a tough rap thanks to the mishandling of Rodney King and O. J. Simpson but I've never to this day been able to stop and think if it hadn't have been for people like you and your store and those officers getting your help how many innocent civilians might have been murdered or have sustained life-altering, permanent injuries as a result of the actions on the part of those two assailants. I never stop thinking to myself, "that could have been me with my mom at that bank that day. We could have been hiding for our lives, praying the police get there in time, and can stop these guys."

They were the people running TOWARD the gunfire to stop them. And so I will never give a damn what a handful of individual bad police may do while unfortunately wearing the badge of those sworn to uphold the law and protect life--even at the risk of their own. Good police will have my unending support for all time, especially the one that serves my home of North Hollywood.

Thank you for helping those police that day, and while I hope we never see a day like that ever again, if we do, I hope that either you or someone like you is around again to help the people survive the attack.

[saki302]

Where on Emelita? I own/manage a small apartment building there now.

Figures- I'm always in the area now and the good gun store is gone
I wonder if the old taco place is still there before the freeway- I virtually never go West of the 170 anymore.

-Dave

(at the time I lived 2 blocks away from B&B on Emelita Street and was there a lot).

[holt7153]

Where on Emelita? I own/manage a small apartment building there now.



Figures- I'm always in the area now and the good gun store is gone

I wonder if the old taco place is still there before the freeway- I virtually never go West of the 170 anymore.



-Dave

It was halfway between Whitsett and Bellaire (12619). The taco shop looked to be under construction the last time I drove by it.


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