◆ SpookStack

Wy 1azzo, while he was popping away at target practice in a remote corner of the Everglades. The men, suspected in move than a dozen armored-car hold- ups and bank robberies during the past 14 months, had shot Colazzo four dimes in the back and left him for dead ina Shaliow pond, but Colazzo had lived to describe his assailants. Al about 9:20 that Friday, McNeill's hunch paid off. Agent Benjamin Gro- gan, 53, spotted the car and radioed for reinforcements. The three FBI cars wheeled in to track the suspects. Soon the black Car was within a block of the heavily traveled South Dixie Highway. McNeill saw a rifle barrel rise in the front seat. "They're loading up!" he ra- dioed. Tires squealing, the agents’ ‘Cars converged on the Monte Carlo, forcing it fo crash into a tree. Two more FSi vehicles raced to the scene, The suspects opened fire immediately, rolfing combat-style from the stolen car. One of the bloodiest—and most mysterious—shoot-outs in the 78-year history of the FBI was underway. Grogan and his partner, agent Jerry Dove, 30, were mortally wounded by some of the first biasts from the sus- pects’ shotgun and Ruger Mini-14 rifie, which holds a 30-round magazine. The agents fired back with a shotgun, 9-mm pistols and .38-cal. revolvers, but they were outgunned. “I got shot in the hand.” says agent John Hanlon, 48. “My hand exploded, and | fiopped over on my back and looked to my left and Saw the guy standing by the car. Then he came around and shot me again on the ground in the groin. There was a lot of machine-gun fire, and all the cas- ings Came down on me. “\heard Ben go, ‘Oh, my God,’ but! ‘didn't fee! him fall down. Then Jerry Dove fell right next to me, his head face down. Jerry raised his head, his @yes were closed, and the guy who | think shat me, shot Jerry in the back of the head. Executed him. 1 could see the bullet hole in ihe back of his head. | to God, f thought of my wite, my three kids. | wasn't thinking, ‘I gotta see Paris.’ but! wasn't ready to die. ! Gunman Michael Platt (center) Hes dead after the battle. The bodies of FBI agents Bove and Grogan are covered at right. thought, Shope he doesn't put the gun “against me.’ | know | felt he was going to kill me,” McNeill, who had emptied his revalv- erat the men while they were still in the Monte Carlo, also had been wounded in the hand and found it im- Possible to reload He made a move around the car to grab a shotgun off the backseat. A voliey from the “The reat herces are Jerry Dove and Ben "ot Ruger cut him down, one round glanc- ing off his spine, temporarily paralyz- ing him. ( Meanwhile. traffic continued to roll down sunny S.W. B2nd Avenue. right through the gunfight. Some People lat- @r said they just though! Mian: Vice was fitming a TV scene. Agents would Point their weapons in the air wheney- @f a passerby wandered into their Grogan,” says agent Edmundo Miretec, who kitfed the cuspects. He Is comforted by wite Eliz abeth, herself an FRI agent.