The Backstory: The FBI’s Bloodiest Shootout

backstory is back. First of all, I'd like to thank backstory listener Caitlin Marieski for bringing this story to our attention, since her mom actually worked at one of the banks robbed by the guys at the center of it. We've seen the evolution of the FBI from its inception in nineteen oh eight through their wild days capturing gangsters like al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger. They chased down bank robbers, kidnappers, and murderers, as well as gangs

involved in prostitution, drug dealing, and gun running. While FBI stands for a Federal Bureau of Investigation, those initials also stand for the bureau's motto fidelity, bravery, and integrity. For forty eight years, the Bureau of Investigation, as it was first called and then the FBI, was run by j. Edgar Hoover. He was a bit of a nut job, but he controlled the Bureau with a wild ego and an iron fist, using it at times as his own

personal espionage organization. Hoover finally died while still on the job in nineteen seventy two. As the FBI continued to evolve, criminals were getting more and more powerful. A hot spot, of course, was Miami. By the mid nineteen eighties, the lights, the glitz, and the glamour were masking an out of control crime rate. Violent bank robberies became par for the course, and two of the best and most ruthless at that

game were William Russell Maddox and Mike Lee Platt. Both were born in the early nineteen fifties, Maddox in Ohio and Platte in California. They met when they both joined the military. Maddox was in the Marines and later the Army, where he served as a military cop. But after the mysterious death of his young wife, who was stabbed on the job along with a coworker, he turned angry and volatile, abandoning family and friends. He was actually a suspect in

the murders, but for some reason never charged. Platt, meantime was in the army and he became a ranger, one of the military's elite units, known for intense training and tactical expertise. He was aggressive and highly skilled, but he too had an explosive temper, and once out of the military, he had a rough time getting back into civilian life. His first wife had also died, she with a single shotgun blast to the mouth. It was ruled a suicide, but he remarried just a couple of weeks later, and

then Maddox and Platt cross paths again. Both were disenchanted with the world in general and resented authority. The two vets bonded quickly over their shared military experience and mutual anger at life, and that led to an intense but really dangerous friendship. Problem is, both were highly trained but had become increasingly radicalized, and they fed off of each other's disillusionment. Now it's the mid eighties and they've reconnected

in Florida. Neither has a criminal record, but they start stockpiling weapons, carefully planning a series of robberies that would shake South Florida. These are carefully orchestrated assaults, allowing them to show off their tactical expertise, from military precision to ruthless execution. It all reflects their training and violent mindset. Although some of their robberies are bungled, many are successful, but leave innocent people dead and wounded, the public terrified

and law enforcement baffled. The pair is showing no hesitation to shoot their way out of trouble, and their weapons are military grade, which far exceeds the typical firepower, police, or even the FBI usually encountered at that time, and that's where trouble arises. It all culminates in a deadly encounter with the FBI in April of nineteen eighty six. The FBI has a special team of eight highly skilled agents on the case, including two leaders, special agents Ben

Grogan and Jerry Dove. On the morning of April eleventh, after weeks of surveillance, the FBI sees Mattox and Platt driving a stolen Chevy Maddy Carlo. They're in South Miami, and they begin to chase the pair The agents manage to box in the Manty Carlo so they can capture the suspects, but Mattox and Platt have no intention of surrendering Quietly. As the agents move closer, the robbers open fire. All hell breaks loose. It's total chaos. Bullets are shredding

through vehicles and agents are scrambling for cover. It's pretty clear the tactical skill and firepower of Mattos and Plat, with a Ruger Many fourteen rifle and multiple powerful handguns is overwhelming even these seasoned FBI agents. Early in the shootout, the lead special agents Grogan and Dove are fatally wounded. Of the remaining six agents, five are critically wounded. The shootout lasts just a few minutes, but it feels like

an eternity. Over one hundred forty rounds were fired in addition to deaths and injuries on the FBI special team. The robbers, Mattox and Platt lay dead the end of their vicious spree. The FBI shootout in Miami was a wake up call for law enforcement nationwide. It showed critical gaps and prompted major reforms in how federal agents are trained and equipped up until this bloody shootout, considered the

worst in FBI history. Police and federal agents were typically issued revolvers, but now law enforcement realized bigger firepower was needed to deal with criminals like Mattocks and Platt. Police departments and the FBI began issuing semi automatic handguns along with much improved body armor. As in everything we do, it's the takeaway that matters. Right today, the shootout is

still a key study for law enforcement. The agents who survived became outspoken advocates for improving the safety of officers and of encouraging resilience. The Miami shootout of nineteen eighty six was a pivotal turning point in the FBI's history. It's also a reminder of the danger law enforcement officer's face and the sacrifices they make every day. Once again, I want to thank Backstory listener Caitlin Mareyeski for turning me on to this story and her personal connection through

her mom. Hope you're enjoying the Backstone with Patty Steele. Please leave a review and follow or subscribe for free to get new episodes delivered automatically, and also feel free to DM me if like Caitlin you have a story you'd like me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstory is a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser.

Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free to reach out to me with comments and even story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the Backstory with Patty Steele. The pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.