The gunfight between the FBI and Platt and Maddox in 1986 was one of the biggest law enforcement gunfights at the time. Both sides fired a total of 145 rounds and both sides had a level of determination that we can use as inspiration for our own lives and in our training.
The first example is from the last post about preparation. Agent Ed Mireles was shot with a .223 round in the arm, breaking his radial bone in his forearm and knocking him down. Even though he only had one arm, he continued to run a shotgun single handed until the fight was over. When he saw the suspect get into a vehicle and back up toward his fellow agents lying injured on the ground, he knew he had to keep fighting. His last addition to the fight was shooting his revolver to empty into the suspects while his vision faded at the edges due to pain and blood loss. He knew he had to do everything he could.
Agent John Hanlon was also involved in the initial contact, and the vehicle he was in was directly involved in the collision with the Monte Carlo. Hanlon had placed his service revolver under his leg for fast access, but it was sent into an unknown part of the vehicle when the cars collided. Not to be deterred, Hanlon pulled his backup, a 5 shot revolver, and is credited as putting the first lead on the bank robbers. Hanlon would fight with everything he had.
Agent Gordon McNeill was able to hit the suspects early on in the encounter as well. He shot all six of the rounds out of his service revolver, and is credited with hitting Matix in the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious. After being shot in the hand, he continued to try to reload his revolver, even though he was having trouble with dexterity and the fact that broken and bloody parts of his hand were impeding the rounds from going into the cylinder.
With such determined attackers, it took all the grit the agents could muster to bring them down. Determination goes a long way. Decide that you are not going to die at the hands of your attacker: keep on fighting.
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