HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

A shootout, also called a firefight or gunfight, is a fight between armed combatants using firearms. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used to describe those that do not involve
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distin ...
forces or only involve firearms (thus excluding crew-served weapons, combat vehicles, armed aircraft, or
explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
s). Shootouts often pit
law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term ...
against criminals, though they can also involve groups outside of law enforcement, such as rivalling
gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Territory (animal), territory in a communi ...
s,
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non- professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
s, or individuals. Military combat situations are rarely called "shootouts", and are almost always considered battles, engagements, or skirmishes. Shootouts are often depicted in action films, Westerns, and
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
s.


Notable shootouts in the United States and territories


Gunfight on Vine Street

May 30, 1856. The Gunfight involved Judge Bird, Dr. Troy, Dr. Hunter, Colonel John R. Bell and his two sons (Charles and John Bell) and took place in Cahaba, Alabama, the former State Capitol of Alabama. The gunfight was the result of accusations by Dr. Troy and Judge Bird that the Bells were implicated in the burning (arson) of their homes. Inflamed by the accusations, John Bell assaulted Dr. Troy outside his office using a hickory stick and a pistol. Judge Bird and Dr. Hunter rushed to Dr. Troy's aid with Colonel Bell and his son Charles all arriving at the same time. In the hail of bullets that followed, Colonel Bell and his son John Bell were killed.


Jesse James Northfield bank robbery

September 7, 1876. Jesse James, Cole Younger, and their gang attempted to rob a bank in Northfield, Minnesota. They exchanged fire with the townspeople. Two of the gang members were killed in the fire fight along with two innocent civilians. Deaths: James-Younger gang: 2; Northfield town: 2


Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

October 26, 1881. Deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone City Marshal Virgil Earp, Assistant Marshal Morgan Earp, and Special Police Officers Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, faced off against outlaw Cowboys Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Billy Claiborne, Tom McLaury, and
Frank McLaury Frank McLaury born Robert Findley McLaury (March 3, 1849 – October 26, 1881) was an American outlaw. He and his brother Tom owned a ranch outside Tombstone, Arizona, Arizona Territory during the 1880s, and had ongoing conflicts with lawmen W ...
in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. Outcome: Clanton/McLaury: 3 killed; Earps/Holliday: 3 wounded


Mabry-O'Connor shootout

October 19, 1882. Mechanics' National Bank president Thomas O'Connor, businessman Joseph Mabry, Jr., and Mabry's son, Joseph Mabry, III, were killed in a shootout in
Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...
. The incident was documented in Chapter 40 of Mark Twain's 1883 book, '' Life on the Mississippi''.Jerome Taylor, "The Extraordinary Life and Death of Joseph A. Mabry," East Tennessee Historical Society ''Publications'', No. 44 (1972), pp. 41-70. Deaths: O'Connor: 1; Mabry: 2


Frisco shootout

December 1, 1884. Legendary lawman
Elfego Baca Elfego Baca (February 10, 1865 – August 27, 1945) was a gunman, lawman, lawyer, and politician in New Mexico; during the later years of the New Mexico Territory frontier he became an American folk hero. His goal in life was to be a peace office ...
ignited an intense shootout with 40-80 cowboys, depending on source, in Frisco (now Reserve),
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...
. Deaths: Cowboys: 4; Baca: 0


Coffeyville bank robbery

October 5, 1892. The Dalton Gang attempted to rob two banks simultaneously in Coffeyville, Kansas, only to find themselves ambushed by lawmen and armed townspeople before they could make their escape. The gang was cornered in an alley and shot to pieces by the swarming townspeople; Emmett Dalton is the only outlaw to survive. Deaths: Robbers: 4; Townspeople: 4


Battle of Matewan, West Virginia

May 19, 1920. Private agents from the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency battled with the local sheriff, the town's mayor, and a group of coal miners, over an attempt by Baldwin-Felts agents to evict coal miners from their homes during a strike. Deaths: Townspeople: 3; Baldwin-Felts: 7


Bonnie and Clyde; Joplin, Missouri

March 22, 1933. Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow and their friends entered a firefight with the local police who had been sent to investigate them in Joplin, Missouri. Deaths: Lawmen: 2; Bonnie and Clyde: 0


Kansas City massacre

June 17, 1933. Kansas City, Missouri. In an attempt to free their friend, a criminal gang ambushed seven FBI agents and Kansas City police at the train station as they were escorting captured fugitive Frank Nash back to prison. The FBI agents were unarmed, but the local police exchanged fire with the criminal gang. The gang unintentionally killed Nash along with the law officers. The FBI claimed that the gang included Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, but the evidence is debatable and contradicts with Floyd's alleged presence. Deaths: Kansas City Police: 2; Oklahoma police: 1, FBI: 1; Nash: 1; Gang: 0


Little Bohemia

April 22, 1934. Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin. A team of FBI Agents led by Special Agent Melvin Purvis attempted to ambush bank robber
John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times and ...
and his gang at the
Little Bohemia Lodge Little Bohemia Lodge is a rural vacation lodge and restaurant located off US Highway 51 in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin. The lodge was built in 1929 by Emil Wanatka on land he acquired that same year. Little Bohemia gained fame and infamy as the s ...
, a hotel and restaurant being used as a hideout. The ambush was botched when a truck full of
Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part o ...
workers, who had been dining at the Lodge, was misidentified as Dillinger's men by the Agents, who opened fire, killing one of the civilians and wounding two more. Dillinger and his men briefly exchanged gunfire with Purvis's men before fleeing out the back of the lodge. FBI Agent W. Carter Baum was killed, and another agent wounded, by Baby Face Nelson during the gang's escape. Deaths: FBI: 1; Civilians: 1; Dillinger's gang: 0


Battle of Barrington

November 27, 1934. Barrington, Illinois. Notorious bank robber
Lester Gillis Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger, when he helped Dillinger escape from prison, in Crown P ...
/George "Baby Face" Nelson, his wife Helen, and gang member John Chase, encountered an FBI car driven by Agents Thomas Dade and William Ryan on a highway outside Barrington. Nelson pursued the FBI Agents, exchanging gunfire with them, until his car was disabled. Two more agents, Special Agent Herman "Ed" Hollis and Inspector
Sam Cowley Samuel Parkinson Cowley (July 23, 1899 – November 28, 1934) was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was killed in the line of duty in a gunfight with Baby Face Nelson in 1934 on Route 14 in Barrington, Illinois. Cowley was ...
, arrived on the scene and engaged Nelson and Chase in a shootout. Though Nelson was wounded seventeen times by the Agents, he and Chase were able to fatally injure both Hollis and Cowley. Nelson escaped, only to die that evening from his injuries. Deaths: FBI: 2; Nelson: 1


Ma Barker

January 16, 1935. Ma Barker and her son, Fred, were killed by the FBI in Ocklawaha, Florida. Ordered to surrender, Fred opened fire; both he and his mother were killed by federal agents after an intense, hours-long shootout in a rented house. Deaths: Barkers: 2; Lawmen: 0


The Palace Chophouse shootout

October 23, 1935. Gangster Dutch Schultz and cronies battle with rival mobsters from Murder, Inc. at Schultz's headquarters in the Palace Chophouse restaurant in
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...
. Deaths: Schultz gang: 4; Murder, Inc.: 0


Truman assassination attempt

November 1, 1950. Puerto Rican nationalists Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola got into a shootout with officers of the Capitol police and Secret Service while attempting to break into the Blair House and assassinate president Harry Truman. By the end of the gun battle, Torresola and officer Leslie Coffelt were killed in an event that firearms instructor Massad Ayoob called "the boldest attempt at home invasion in modern history". Deaths: Police: 1; Assassins: 1


Austin Tower sniper

August 1, 1966. Charles Whitman barricaded himself at the top of the tower at the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
and proceeded to fire randomly from the tower. He eventually received return fire from police and armed civilians. He was killed in a final shootout when his perch was stormed by Austin police. Deaths: 18 (including Whitman)


Newhall massacre

On April 6, 1970, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers engaged heavily armed criminals Bobby Davis and Jack Twinning in a shootout in the parking lot of a restaurant near Newhall, California. In a span of five minutes, Davis and Twinning killed four CHP officers, making it the deadliest day in the history of Californian law enforcement. Davis was later arrested, while Twinning killed himself following a long standoff with police. Deaths: CHP officers: 4; Twinning: 1


Marin County Courthouse shootout

August 7, 1970. In an attempt to free his brother, imprisoned
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...
leader George Jackson, 17-year-old Jonathan Jackson entered a courthouse in
Marin County, California Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is across ...
with an arsenal of weapons. After storming into a room where a trial was taking place, Jackson armed defendant James McClain, who was on trial for murdering a prison guard, and two fellow convicts who were participating in the trial as witnesses, William Christmas and Ruchell Magee. The four armed men then took the judge, a district attorney and three jurors hostage, and marched them out of the courthouse into a waiting getaway van. As they attempted to flee the scene, a shootout broke out between the hostage takers and Marin County Sheriffs deputies providing security at the courthouse. By the end of the gun battle, Jonathan Jackson, McClain, Christmas, and judge Harold Haley were killed. According to the other hostages, Haley was executed by the hostage takers with a shotgun that had been taped to his throat. Magee was severely injured, but survived the battle and was sentenced to life in prison. One juror and the D.A. were also wounded. One of the weapons used by Jackson was later traced to Black Panther icon Angela Davis, who was later tried (but acquitted) for participation in the crime. It was later alleged by a Marin General Hospital doctor that Judge Haley was being treated for a brain tumor and should have been recused from trying cases for health reasons. Deaths: Suspects: 3; Hostages: 1


Howard Johnson's Hotel shootout

January 7, 1973. One week after he had killed two police officers, former Black Panther member Mark Essex climbed to the roof of the Howard Johnson's Hotel in downtown
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and six members of the Symbionese Liberation Army at a residential home at 1466 East 54th Street, Los Angeles. This remains one of the largest police shootouts in history with a reported total of over 9,000 rounds being fired (5,000 by police, 4,000 by the SLA). Every round fired by SLA members at the police missed the officers. During the incident, police fired tear gas into the house, unintentionally starting a fire. All six SLA members were killed, either by police bullets or the fire. The SLA's leader,
Donald DeFreeze Donald David DeFreeze (November 16, 1943 – May 17, 1974), also known as Cinque Mtume and using the nom de guerre "General Field Marshal Cinque", was known as the "spokesman" of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), a small, American far-left gro ...
, committed suicide. Deaths: SLA: 6; LAPD: 0


Pine Ridge shootout

June 26, 1975. A confrontation and gun battle between
American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is a Native American grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues of poverty, discrimination, and police br ...
(AIM) activists and the FBI on the
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation ( lkt, Wazí Aháŋhaŋ Oyáŋke), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located entirely within the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the G ...
in
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
. Deaths: FBI: 2; AIM: 1


Golden Dragon massacre

September 4, 1977. The massacre took place at 2:30 a.m. at the Golden Dragon restaurant in
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for "Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. A longstanding feud between two rival Chinatown gangs, the
Joe Boys The Joe Boys, or JBS (also known as Chung Ching Yee, ), was a Chinese American youth gang founded in the 1960s in San Francisco's Chinatown. The Joe Boys were originally known as Joe Fong Boys, after its founder Joe Fong, a former member of the ...
and Wah Ching, came to a head when a botched assassination attempt by the Joe Boys at the restaurant led to 5 civilians, including 2 tourists, being killed, and 11 others injured. The assassination attempt came about after members of Wah Ching vandalized the graves of Joe Boys' members, breaking an unspoken taboo of respecting the dead. Deaths: Civilians: 5; Gang members: 0


MOVE

MOVE Move may refer to: People * Daniil Move (born 1985), a Russian auto racing driver Brands and enterprises * Move (company), an online real estate company * Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer * Daihatsu Move ...
was a back-to-nature, anti-technology group in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
in the 1970s and 1980s. They were involved in two shootouts with the Philadelphia police. August 8, 1978, Powelton Village. During an attempt to forcibly remove the group from the home in which they were living, a shootout took place between the police and the group; one police officer was killed. Nine of the group members were tried and sentenced for murder. Deaths: Police: 1; MOVE: 0 May 13, 1985, Osage Avenue. In a failed attempt to serve arrest warrants on four members of the group, Philadelphia police became engaged in a gun battle at MOVE's communal residence. About 10,000 rounds of ammunition were fired by the police. The police dropped a bomb on the house, starting a fire which burned down 62 houses and killed 11 people. Deaths: MOVE: 11 (6 adults, 5 children); Police: 0


Norco bank robbery shootout

May 9, 1980. Prolonged shootout and chase between police in Norco, California, and five heavily armed bank robbers wearing military-style fatigues and armed with semi-automatic rifles, thousands of rounds of hollow-point bullets as well as various explosive and incendiary devices. Police responded to a bank robbery call in Norco. Upon arriving the police were ambushed and outgunned. After the robbers unloaded over 300 rounds at police cruisers, the officers were forced to retreat behind their cruisers or nearby obstacles, all the while being fired upon. The suspects attempted to escape in their own vehicle. During this attempt, the driver of the suspects was killed by a stray police shot. The suspects then hijacked a nearby vehicle and became involved in a prolonged chase, in which the suspects shot at police and disabled and destroyed 33 police vehicles (as well as civilian cars) with explosives thrown from the back of a truck. The suspects also disabled a police helicopter by shooting at it. Later, the suspects lay in wait for police as they chased them, and ambushed them, resulting in the death of a police officer and wounding two others. Heavily outgunned, the police were pinned down until one officer arrived with an
AR-15 An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporat ...
carbine. After the police engaged the suspects with the AR-15, the suspects fled. One of the suspects was killed in the shootout, one during a later standoff with the police the next day, and three were later captured. Eight officers were also wounded during the events. Deaths: Suspects: 2; Police: 1


Brink's armored truck robbery

October 20, 1981. An attempted armed robbery of a Brinks armored truck by members of the Weather Underground and Black Liberation Army resulted in a shootout and the deaths of two police officers and a Brinks security guard in
Nyack, New York Nyack () is a village located primarily in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, it retains a very small western section in Clarkstown. It is a suburb of New York City lying approximately n ...
. The robbers, wearing body armor and equipped with assault rifles, initially ambushed the armored truck when it was parked at a shopping mall, killing Brinks guard Pete Paige and wounding his partner. After taking $1.6 million in cash and attempting to flee in a U-Haul truck, they were stopped at a roadblock set up by police. In a second shootout, police officers Waverly Brown and Ed O'Grady were killed and the robbers fled the scene in several different directions. Four of the robbers were arrested during their escape attempt, and more than six other people involved were arrested in subsequent investigations over the next several years. The last arrest was made in 1986. Deaths: Suspects: 0; Police: 2; Brinks Guards: 1


Shannon Street massacre

January 11–13, 1983. Memphis Police Officer Bobby Hester was taken hostage at a house at 2239 Shannon Street after confrontation occurred between Hester and his partner Ray Schwill and the house's owner, cult leader Lindberg Sanders. After 30 hours of negotiations, a Memphis Police assault team raided the house and shot and killed Sanders and six of his followers, after which they found the body of Hester beaten to death. Deaths: Memphis Police: 1; Cultists: 7


Gordon Kahl

February 13, 1983. Tax protester Gordon Kahl traded shots with U.S. Marshals when they attempted to arrest him in Medina, North Dakota. Two marshals were killed, and one marshal, three Medina policemen, and Gordon Kahl's son Yorie were wounded. Deaths: U.S. Marshals: 2; Kahl: 0 June 3, 1983. Gordon Kahl was killed in a shootout with federal agents and the local sheriff in
Smithville, Arkansas Smithville is a town in Lawrence County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 78 at the 2010 census. History Euro-American settlers first came to the area of Smithville in 1808. Smithville became the county seat of modern-day Lawrence C ...
, in the house where he was hiding out. Deaths: Kahl: 1; Sheriff: 1


FBI Miami shootout

April 11, 1986. Two FBI agents and two suspects were killed in a prolonged and intense firefight between the FBI and bank-robbery suspects William Matix and Michael Platt in
Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
. The event became one of the most famous shootouts in American history, with ten participants (eight FBI agents and two suspects), roughly 145 rounds fired, and four deaths. Even though the FBI agents outnumbered the suspects four to one, the FBI were outgunned by the suspects. It took a total of 18 hits (six on Matix, 12 on Platt) to bring the gun battle to an end. All but one of the FBI agents involved in the shootout were killed or wounded. Deaths: FBI: 2; Suspects: 2


Lance Thomas

From 1989 to 1992, Los Angeles watch merchant Lance Thomas was involved in four shootouts with armed robbers. In those four events, he killed a total of five and wounded another, while also being shot a total of five times. Thomas survived each shootout without permanent injuries. On April 27, 1992, Thomas eventually shutdown his store to avoid further bloodshed two days before the 1992 Los Angeles riots broke out. Deaths: Suspects: 5; Thomas: 0.


Ruby Ridge

August 1992. In a 11-day siege, agents of the
ATF The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and preven ...
, FBI, and U.S. Marshals armed with sniper rifles and M-16s shot it out with survivalist Randy Weaver and his family in the wilderness near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Deaths: Weavers: 2 (and 1 dog); Federal agents: 1


Branch Davidian siege

February 28–April 19, 1993. Heavily armed members of the Branch Davidian sect engaged federal agents of the
ATF The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and preven ...
in an intense firefight during a raid of their compound building, initiating a 51-day siege by the FBI near
Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and Interstate 35, I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin, Texas, Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the List ...
. Deaths: Branch Davidians: 6 (and 76 on April 19); BATF: 4


Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police headquarters shootout

November 22, 1994. Former convict Bennie Lee Lawson entered the Cold Case Squad room at the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police headquarters armed with a
Cobray The Cobray Company was an American developer and manufacturer of submachine guns, automatic carbines, handguns, shotguns, and non-lethal 37 mm launchers. These were manufactured by SWD. In the 1970s and 1980s, Cobray was a counter terrorist trai ...
M-11 semi-automatic pistol and opened fire killing FBI Special Agents Martha Dixon Martinez and Michael Miller, and D.C. Metro Police Sergeant Henry Daly; and seriously wounding FBI Special Agent John Kuchta before killing himself. Deaths: Police: 1; FBI: 2; Suspects: 1


North Hollywood shootout

February 28, 1997. Following a failed bank robbery in North Hollywood,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
, the two robbers, Larry Phillips, Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu, armed with several assault rifles, fired upon responding officers of the Los Angeles Police Department. The ensuing firefight lasted 44 minutes, with more than 2000 rounds fired collectively from both sides. The only deaths were the two bank robbers, Phillips and Mătăsăreanu. Twelve police officers and eight civilians were injured.


Carl Drega

On August 19, 1997,
Carl Drega Carl Drega (January 19, 1935 – August 19, 1997) was a man from Bow, New Hampshire, who killed two state troopers, a judge and a newspaper editor and wounded four other law enforcement officers before being shot to death in a gunfight with police ...
, a New Hampshire resident who had long been in conflict with the government over alleged land code violations, opened fire on New Hampshire State Trooper Scott Phillips after he was pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Drega, armed with a scoped
AR-15 An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporat ...
, killed Phillips and another Trooper, Les Lord, who arrived on the scene as backup. Then he stole Phillips' police cruiser and drove to the offices of the ''Colebrook News and Sentinel'', where he killed judge Vickie Bunnell and newspaper editor Dennis Joos, who tackled him in an attempt to disarm him. After this, Drega drove home to set his house on fire, then drove to Vermont where he opened fire and critically injured a Vermont trooper who had followed him after identifying the stolen New Hampshire police car. Eventually, Drega abandoned the vehicle at a Vermont farmhouse and ambushed a group of law enforcement officers from multiple agencies who had been sent to track him down. After a long shootout in which two more officers were injured, Drega was killed by Border Patrol agent Stephen Brooks and New Hampshire State Trooper Charles West, who were respectively armed with an
M14 Rifle The M14 rifle, officially the United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire battle rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO (.308 in) cartridge. It became the standard-issue rifle for the U.S. military in 1959, ...
and Remington 870 shotgun. Deaths: Police: 2; Civilians: 2; Suspect: 1 Injuries: Police: 3


Columbine High School massacre

April 20, 1999. During the massacre, school shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold exchanged fire with Denver police three times. Although 12 students and one teacher died, 21 others were injured and both the shooters committed suicide that day, no officers were killed or injured.


Tyler courthouse shootout

February 24, 2005. David Hernandez Arroyo attacked his ex-wife, Maribel Estrada, and her son outside the courthouse in
Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...
. Arroyo was armed with a semi-automatic MAK-90 (AK-47 clone with a semi-automatic receiver) rifle. Maribel Estrada was shot in the head and died; her son was shot in the leg but recovered. The shots immediately brought a response from nearby sheriff's deputies and Tyler Police. Arroyo began trading gunfire with the officers, who were armed only with pistols, and forced them to retreat, wounding several of them. A passing civilian,
Mark Allen Wilson On February 24, 2005, a man shot his ex-wife and son outside the courthouse in Tyler, Texas, then engaged police and court officers in a shootout. David Hernandez Arroyo, Sr. opened fire in front of the courthouse with a Type 56, Type 56S rifle, ...
, drew his own pistol and attempted to aid the officers but Arroyo was wearing body armor and Wilson's pistol failed to stop him; Wilson was shot and killed by Arroyo. Afterward, Arroyo jumped in his pickup and led police on a high-speed chase, exchanging gunfire along the way. Arroyo was eventually shot and killed by a responding officer armed with a CAR-15 rifle. Deaths: 3 (Arroyo, Estrada and Wilson)


Toddler dies in shootout

July 10, 2005,
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...
. José Raul Peña, while high on cocaine, threatened his wife, took his 19-month-old daughter Suzie Marie Lopez (or Susie Marie Peña) hostage, then used the child as a human shield while he exchanged fire with the
LAPD SWAT Metropolitan Division, also known as METRO, is an elite division with in the Los Angeles Police Department under Special Operations Bureau which is responsible for managing the department's specialized units, including the Line Platoons(B Team, ...
team. Peña (using a 9 mm handgun and a shotgun) fired more than 40 shots at the police, and the police fired more than 100 rounds at Peña. Deaths: 2 (Peña and child)


Scott Barnaby

On April 24, 2007, Scott Barnaby of South Bend,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
shot at officers outside his motel room. Barnaby and Corporal Nick Polizzotto were killed, and another officer was injured. Gun dealer Ronald Wedge was found guilty of selling a gun to Barnaby illegally, and was sentenced to ten months in prison. Deaths: Barnaby: 1; Police: 1


Pittsburgh police shootings

A shootout occurred on April 4, 2009, at 1016 Fairfield Street in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
, United States, stemming from an argument over a dog urinating in the house between a mother and her 22-year-old son. At approximately 7:11 a.m. EDT, 22-year-old Richard Poplawski opened fire on two Pittsburgh Police officers responding to a 911 call from Poplawski's mother, who was attempting to get the police officers to remove her son from the home. Three police officers were ultimately confirmed dead, and another two were seriously injured. Poplawski was armed with a semi-automatic AK-47-style rifle and two other guns, protected by a bulletproof vest, and had been lying in wait for the officers. According to police and witnesses, he held police at bay for four hours as the fallen officers were left bleeding nearby, their colleagues unable to reach them. More than 100 rounds were fired by the
SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
teams and Poplawski, who surrendered after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. Poplawski was later convicted of capital murder and was sentenced to death. Deaths: Pittsburgh Police: 3, Suspect: 0


Lakewood police officer shooting

On Sunday, November 29, 2009, four Lakewood, Washington police officers (Sergeant Mark Renninger, Officer Ronald Owens, 37, Officer Tina Griswold, 40, Officer Greg Richards, 42) were shot and killed at a coffee shop in the Parkland unincorporated area of Pierce County, Washington, United States. One gunman ( Maurice Clemmons) entered the coffee shop, fired at the officers as they sat working on their laptop computers. One of the officers returned fire before being killed, wounding Clemmons, but he was still able to flee the scene. After a 2-day manhunt that spanned several cities in the Puget Sound region, the alleged gunman was shot and killed by a Seattle Police Department officer in south Seattle. Deaths: Suspect: 0 (killed two days later); Police: 4


Christopher Dorner shootings and manhunt

From February 3–12, 2013, former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner killed three people (including an officer) and injured three other officers. On February 12, Dorner engaged in a shootout with police at Big Bear Lake, California, killing one and injuring another. The police then deployed CS Gas (Teargas) which possibly set Dorner's cabin on fire, whereupon Dorner committed suicide. Deaths: Police: 2 (4 injured and 2 civilians killed) Dorner: 1


Watertown shootout

April 18, 2013. After killing three civilians and injuring hundreds during the
Boston Marathon bombing The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs ...
on April 15, brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev shot and killed a police officer on the campus of MIT. Later in the night they engaged in a shootout with officers in Watertown, Massachusetts where they injured 16 other officers and Tamerlan Tsarnev was killed while Dzhokhar Tsarnev was arrested the next day. Boston Police Department officer Dennis Simmonds was injured by a hand grenade shrapnel to the head and died on April 10, 2014. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was later convicted for bombing the Marathon, and was sentenced to death. Deaths: Police: 2 (16 injured) Suspects: 1 (other injured)


Twin Peaks shootout

May 17, 2015. In one of the deadliest gang shootings in United States history, a brawl between rival
biker gangs An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, a ...
in front of a Twin Peaks restaurant in
Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and Interstate 35, I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin, Texas, Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the List ...
escalated into a shootout between rival gangs as well as police. Nine people were killed and 18 others were injured. Deaths: Gang members: 9 Injuries: 18


Umpqua Community College shooting

October 1, 2015. After killing nine civilians and injuring nine others at Umpqua Community College near Roseburg, Oregon, shooter Christopher Harper Mercer then immediately engaged in a shootout with responding police officers before killing himself. Deaths: Suspects: 1, civilians: 9


Dallas shootings

July 7, 2016: Enraged by the shootings of black men Alton Sterling and
Philando Castile On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old African-American man, was fatally shot during a traffic stop by police officer Jeronimo Yanez of the St. Anthony police department in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Castile was ...
by police in
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
and
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
, Micah Xavier Johnson opened fire on white police officers of the Dallas Police Department from an upper floor of a parking garage whilst they were overseeing a protest. Johnson was killed by a Remotec ANDROS Mark V-A bomb disposal robot, which carried a pound of C-4 explosive. Deaths: Police: 5, Suspects: 1 Injuries: 11 (9 police, 2 civilians)


2019 Miramar shootout

December 5, 2019: Miami-Dade police engage with jewelry store robbers at a busy intersection. Deaths: Police: 0, Suspects: 2, Civilians: 2


2021 Sunrise shootout

February 2, 2021: FBI agents served a search warrant on a house of suspect who was suspected of abusing minors. The suspect ambushed the FBI agents, shooting five agents, 2 mortally wounded. The suspect was killed on the scene. Deaths: FBI: 2, Suspects: 1 Injuries: 3 (All FBI agents, 1 did not require hospitalization.)


Other notable shootouts


Jules Bonnot

April 24, 1912: When three police officers confronted anarchist Jules Bonnot in a
fence A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length. ...
's apartment, Bonnot opened fire on the officers, killing the vice-chief of the
Surete Nationale The National Police (french: Police nationale), formerly known as the , is one of two national police forces of France, the other being the National Gendarmerie. The National Police is the country's main civil law enforcement agency, with prima ...
before fleeing across adjacent rooftops. Outcome: Surete: 1 killed; 1 wounded; Bonnot Gang: 0 April 28, 1912. 500 police officers, soldiers, firemen, and
lynch mob Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
participants exchanged fire with Bonnot in a
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
suburb. The conflict ended after police bombed the building in which Bonnot was taking cover. Outcome: Police: 3 wounded; Bonnot: KIA


Beer Hall Putsch

On November 9, 1923,
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
and at least 2,000 members of the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
, which Hitler belonged to, attempted to launch a coup in
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
. The resulting shootout between Bavarian police and Nazi supporters left twenty people dead and many injured. Deaths:
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
: 15, Bavarian police: 4, Civilians: 1


Battle of Bamber Bridge

In the early hours of 25 June 1943, tensions between black troops and white
military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, Screening (tactical), ...
stationed in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, UK, flared into mutiny, with both sides shooting at each other in the middle of the town. The " Battle of Bamber Bridge" was one of the few instances of a gunfight on UK soil during World War II, and left one dead and four wounded. Result: 1 soldier killed, 2 soldiers wounded, 2 MPs wounded


Milperra massacre

The Milperra massacre or Father's Day Massacre was a firearm battle between rival motorcycle gang members on 2 September (Father's Day in Australia) 1984, in Milperra, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The shootout had its roots in an intense rivalry that developed after a group of Comancheros broke away and formed the first Bandidos Motorcycle Club chapter in Australia. Seven people were killed and twenty-eight injured when the two groups clashed at Milperra. The event was a catalyst for significant changes to gun laws in New South Wales. Result: 6 dead gang members, 1 dead bystander, 28 injured


David Malcolm Gray

14 November 1990: After a shooting rampage which killed up to 13 people (including a police officer) in the small seaside township of Aramoana, New Zealand, members of the Special Tactics Group (STG) surrounded the house where shooter David Malcolm Gray was hiding and a gunbattle took place after failed attempts to lure him out. At the end, Gray ran out of the house, firing his rifle from the hip before being struck and knocked down by gunfire from STG officers. Gray subsequently died on the journey to hospital. Outcome: STG: 1 wounded; Gray: killed


1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout

November 16, 1991. Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Aftab Ahmed Khan, head of the ATS, led a force of almost 100 policemen and ATS officers and attacked the Swati building at the Lokhandwala Complex in
Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the '' de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the sec ...
. In the ensuing shootout which lasted four hours, 450 rounds were fired and seven gangsters belonging to the D-Company were killed, including Maya Dolas, Dilip Buwa and Anil Pawar. Deaths: Gangsters: 7; ATS and Mumbai police: 0 Injuries: Gangsters: 0; ATS and Mumbai police: 2


Rodney Ansell

Rod Ansell was an Australian bushman who served as the inspiration for the '' "Crocodile" Dundee'' films. On 3 August 1999, Ansell ambushed several police officers at a roadblocked intersection at Acacia Hills, Northern Territory, Australia, and fatally shot one of them. A gun-battle erupted as more officers arrived on scene, and Ansell was killed in the ensuing gunfight. The day before his attack on police, Ansell had been on a rampage, shooting at houses and wounding several civilians. Result: Two persons shot dead (Ansell and one officer); several civilians wounded


Mayerthorpe incident

On March 3, 2005, James Roszko ambushed and killed
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
constables Peter Schiemann, Anthony Gordon, Lionide Johnston and Brock Myrol with a prohibited HK-91 rifle during a stake-out. The resulting shootout with other present RCMP officers came to an end when Roszko committed suicide after being wounded. Deaths: RCMP: 4; James Roszko: 1


Spiritwood incident

July 7, 2006. Constables Robin Cameron and Marc Bourdages of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were both shot in the head through the windshield of their cruiser after a 27 km car chase and shootout with Curtis Dagenais in rural
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...
. Deaths: RCMP: 2; Dagenais: 0


Mumbai massacre

On November 26, 2008, 10 members of the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out shooting sprees at several different locations throughout the Indian city of
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...
. The terrorists, heavily armed with automatic weapons and explosives, overwhelmed the initial response from lightly armed and minimally trained police and held out for nearly three days, inflicting almost 500 casualties, with 157 deaths (including 17 police officers and soldiers). 9 of the 10 attackers were killed, while the 10th was arrested and later executed for the crime. Result: 166 deaths (including 9 of 10 attackers), 293 injuries, 1 terrorist arrested (later hanged after being sentenced to death).


Manila hostage crisis

On 23 August 2010, in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines, former police officer Rolando Mendoza boarded a bus with Hong Kong tourists taking the occupants hostage. After freeing four children, senior citizens and a disabled woman, the shootout began after the on-board TV broadcast showing the arrest of his younger brother. Enraged, Mendoza took the tour guide and shot him in the head at the door. It took the SWAT team almost two hours to kill Mendoza with a sniper. The assault killed eight hostages (the youngest being 14), and wounded seven hostages, one journalist and one bystander. Result: Shooter: 1 dead, hostages: 8. 9 others wounded.


Alejo Garza Tamez

On November 14, 2010, 77-year old Mexican rancher Alejo Tamez barricaded himself in his ranch house and got into a shootout with members of the Los Zetas cartel, who had invaded his property because they wanted to use his ranch for their drug-running activities. After a prolonged shootout, the cartel members fled, leaving behind four dead and 2 critically wounded. Tamez was mortally wounded in the gunfight as well. Result: Tamez dead, 4 cartel members dead, 2 cartel members wounded and arrested.


2013 Annaberg shooting

On 16 September 2013,
Austrian federal police The Federal Police ( de-AT, Bundespolizei) is the national and principal law enforcement agency of Austria. The Federal Police was formed in July 2005 as one formal unit of police. In 2005, the Federal Police replaced the Austrian Federal Gendar ...
received a call about a suspected poacher in the woods. Police officers sought to inspect the vehicle of 55-year-old Alois Huber, but he sped off upon spotting them and later crashed his car in a ditch near
Annaberg, Lower Austria Annaberg is a town in the district of Lilienfeld in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. History In September 2013 the village was the location of a shooting in which three police officers and an ambulance driver died after a poacher opened f ...
. Huber then proceeded on foot and shot two police officers posted near a checkpoint in Annaberg. A Red Cross paramedic was also shot while providing aid to a wounded. One of the officers and the paramedic later died in the hospital, while the other officer survived his wounds. At another checkpoint, Huber shot and killed another officer while taking a fourth hostage. He then stole a police car and drove it to his farmhouse near
Melk Melk (; older spelling: ) is a city of Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria, next to the Wachau valley along the Danube. Melk has a population of 5,257 (as of 2012). It is best known as the site of a massive baroque Benedictine monaste ...
.
Austrian Armed Forces The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria. The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of nat ...
assisted in the manhunt with soldiers and armoured vehicles. Deaths: Police: 3 (including one '' EKO Cobra'' operator), Paramedic: 1; Poacher: 1


2015 Île-de-France attacks

7–9 January 2015. Three AQAP terrorists, brothers
Chérif and Saïd Kouachi On 7 January 2015, at about 11:30 a.m. CET local time, two French Muslim terrorists and brothers, Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, forced their way into the offices of the French satirical weekly newspaper '' Charlie Hebdo'' in Paris. Armed with ...
and Amedy Coulibaly, committed a series of five attacks that resulted in the deaths in 20 people, including themselves. The Kouachis killed two police officers during the ''Charlie Hebdo'' shooting on 7 January before fleeing. Coulibaly shot and killed a policewoman the next day. Finally on 9 January, the Kouachis and Coulibaly held separate sieges which resulted in shootouts with police and all three being killed. Deaths: Terrorists: 3, Police: 3, Civilians: 14
Injuries: 22


Saint-Denis raid

On 18 November 2015, 5 days after the November 2015 Paris attacks, in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
, French police raided an apartment that thought to be housing the mastermind behind the attacks,
Abdelhamid Abaaoud Abdelhamid Abaaoud ( ar, عبد الحميد ابعود, ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ʾAbā ʿŪd; 8 April 1987 – 18 November 2015) was a Belgian-born Islamic terrorist who had spent time in Syria. He was suspected of having organized multiple terror a ...
. Following a seven-hour shootout in which police fired over 5,000 rounds of ammunition, Abaaoud, his cousin Hasna Aït Boulahcen, and fellow Paris attacker Chakib Akrouh were killed and 5 terrorists were arrested. Deaths: ISIL: 3, Police: 1 dog
Injuries: Police: 5, Civilians:1


See also

* Cordon and search * Encounter killings by police


References

{{Firearms Gangland warfare tactics Law enforcement Violent crime Combat Violence Western (genre) staples and terminology