FBI Hero Shot Twice - How He Ended History's Deadliest Fight - Part 1
On April 11, 1986, FBI Special Agent Ed Mireles faced the most violent confrontation in Bureau history during the Miami firefight that would forever change how law enforcement officers are armed and trained.
This is Part 1 of Ed's incredible story - from tracking the mysterious "Unknown Gang" of bank robbers through South Florida to the moment when everything went wrong. Two former 101st Airborne soldiers, Michael Platt and William Matix, had terrorized the region with military precision, killing every witness until one man survived to tell their story. When FBI agents finally located them on that fateful Friday morning, a routine surveillance turned into a deadly chase through Miami neighborhoods.
Armed only with six-shot revolvers and shotguns, eight FBI agents confronted two heavily-armed, military-trained killers in what became known as the bloodiest day in FBI history. Ed's story reveals the shocking disparity in firepower, the split-second decisions that determined life and death, and the moment when he took two devastating hits but refused to give up. "This is survivable," he told himself as bullets flew overhead - a mindset that would prove prophetic.
Key Timestamps:
8:45 - The Unknown Gang's reign of terror
23:08 - Spotting the stolen Monte Carlo
25:26 - The high-speed chase begins
32:51 - Outgunned: six-shot revolvers vs. military weapons
45:35 - Ed's "this is survivable" moment
51:40 - Setting up the impossible survival story
"When you're fighting for your life, anything and everything is an option." - Ed Mireles
Don't miss Part 2 to discover how Ed survived the impossible and ended the deadliest firefight in FBI history. Please like and subscribe to the Heroes Behind the Badge podcast to show your support for these heroes and help these heroic stories reach as many people as possible!
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