Emil Matasareanu

Emil Dechebal Matasareanu is best known as one of two men who robbed a Bank of America in North Hollywood, California, on February 28, 1997. He was born in Romania and grew up in Altadena. Following the robbery, he and his accomplice, Larry Eugene Phillips, Jr., participated in a massive daylight shootout with police. Image File history File links Matasareanu. ... Image File history File links Matasareanu. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Altadena is an unincorporated census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California approx. ... Larry Eugene Phillips, Jr. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

As they were occupied with robbing the bank and keeping control of their hostages, a large number of police officers gathered outside, as a result of an officer's request for backup and his report of the suspects being armed with automatic AK-47 rifles. Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947 g. ...

As the suspects were about to flee the scene, they encountered the police officers outside and opened fire, shooting wildly for several minutes. Later, Matasareanu drove the getaway car while Phillips walked alongside it and continued shooting at the police. After some time, they were separated. Philips, surrounded by police, committed suicide with a Beretta 92F handgun when his AK-47 jammed. A getaway car is a car used to make a getaway, i. ...

Finally, the SWAT team arrived and after a brief shootout, they wounded Matasareanu. Taking cover behind a truck, Matasareanu continued to fire until he had been shot in the legs and feet by SWAT sharpshooters so many times that he collapsed against the hood of the car. He later died of his wounds at the scene. He was hit 29 times. Members of the 60th Security Police Squadrons Base Swat Team, Travis Air Force Base, wearing black uniforms stand with M-9 pistols ready behind concealing foliage. ...

The Matasareanu family later filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department for taking too long to provide him with medical attention, and also for reported brutality against Emil as he was handcuffed in the street. The city responded by saying that Matasareanu's constant taunts for police to "shoot me in the head" had caused police to worry that he may have booby trapped himself. The first trial resulted in a hung jury, and the lawsuit was later dropped. A hung jury is a jury whose required majority cannot reach or agree upon a unanimous verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is deadlocked with irreconcilable differences of opinion. ...

Emil Matasareanu is survived by two sons, Alexander and Emil Jr.

See also

• North Hollywood shootout

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External links

• Lawsuit accuses LA police of letting wounded gunman die
• Dark Paladin, a site containing information and articles about Matasareanu.
• A message board created to discuss Matasareanu and his partner.