The story will about to hear its true. Only the nation has been trained to protect the
innocent.
Your detective sergeant has assigned a robbery detail. A lone bandit robbed a jewelry store
and robbed a life. He takes $5,000 in touch with stone. He's reckless. He's well armed.
We're done. Get in.
Right now, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 minutes, in cooperation
with the Los Angeles Police Department, we will travel step by step on the side of the
road. The law for an actual case can derive from official police violence. From beginning
to end, from crime to punishment, Dragmatt is the story of your police force in action.
It's Tuesday, December 7th. It's silly and more funny. We're working the day watch out
of robbery detail. My partner is Benny Mayer, the boss of Captain Gideon. My name's Friday.
It was 1.48 p.m. when I got to the basement of the City Hall. The carpool.
No.
Yeah, right.
Hi, Jay.
This is from the
back.
$5,000.
I told you we must have had the jewelry store pretty well taped.
I mean, like you said, practice.
We could be mature one day as well.
Attention all units, all units, at 30 and Victor, 30 and Victor.
You get it up, huh?
Yeah.
Handle the gun.
All units, at 30 and Victor, attack the back.
Give them a hand with a gun.
Code C-E-N-A-P-E-C-E-N.
Oh, this is a roll-on, huh?
Yeah, I think Victor gets it in.
Yeah, I'll call him.
80-3 to Control 1.
Control 1, 30-K, I'm down.
80-K, I'm from Investigation.
80-Vectors, 283-67.
Roger, 80-Vectors.
Both 70-Vectors, 283-67.
I might see it up ahead, Joe.
Yeah.
Right in the middle of the intersection, over the car turned over.
You want to go in?
Yeah.
Let's go.
Man, the flesh got on straight over there, Victor.
I want to put a gift in your face.
Excuse me, please. Let it through, please.
Don't just stand around looking.
Did somebody call the police yet? Excuse me.
You were involved, Lee?
Sure, I was in it.
Did anybody call the police?
No police. I was just with him.
Oh, I'm too glad to see you.
An awful lot of trouble.
Well, how about this man here? What happened?
Oh, I flung him. I had to.
What do you mean?
Well, I don't know what happened. He went a little crazy, I guess.
He pulled this gun on me.
How is he, Jeff?
He's got a bump over here. He could be all right otherwise.
Okay, then.
Ernie Brooks. That truck over there, that's what I was driving.
I was coming down third street and I stopped with a red light over there.
That's the one over there?
Yeah.
And when the light turned green, I started across the intersection.
I was laying here, came bowing down, Victor.
Went right through the red light, hit the front of my truck.
Flipped his car right over on the side, just like a suit.
Yeah, go ahead.
The guy went a little crazy, I guess.
Right after the crack up, I pulled the truck to the curb and got out.
This fella here was just climbing out of the top side of his car.
Didn't seem hurt at all.
Yeah, right.
Well, when he saw me coming over to him, he pulled the gun and pointed it at me.
Then he turned and started running. I couldn't figure it out.
What'd you do?
Well, soon as he turned his back to run, I went for him and tackled him.
Felt like a tiger.
That's why I said I flung him. I had to, Arthur.
There's something awful funny about the whole thing, Lady Lila.
Well, look here.
There was spots right here. I fell out of this coat when I flung him.
You take a look. Yeah? Here.
There's been three or four dozen in there.
Rings all kinds.
Well, looks like diamonds in them, doesn't it?
They all got up the riot and they took the unconscious fuel robber,
suspect of juggling with the receiving officer.
After he was revived and treated for cuts and dizziness,
he took him back to the city hall of the interrogation room.
We heard of the description of the jewelry store bandit almost exactly.
He refused to talk and wouldn't even give us his name.
He had his fingerprints taken and then he had been kept to eye on eye.
The man was identified as Brian Albert Nicolle.
At the time, they got a full sum of the two-time losers.
He took one five-year term for armed robbery and another three years for ADW.
He checked out the red car he'd been driving and found out that it had been stolen
two blocks from the scene of the holocaust.
We had the manager of the jewelry store which had been robbed, brought downtown.
He identified Nicolle as the bandit.
The suspect still refused to talk.
Ben and I took him to the main jail where he was booked on suspicion 211-3.
415 PM, he took back in at the office.
He took some of them a long time to learn.
Yeah, two-time loser.
This one ought to finish him.
I can't figure. He's been out of post in seven months and going right back in again.
Yeah.
Well, we did get the complaint from the bureau tomorrow and said we were only to third.
Yeah.
Maybe check with the manager of the jewelry store for us.
I wonder if Nicolle could have been in on those gas-taking hold-ups. Remember?
At least.
Yeah.
Well, we'll have him in a show up Thursday and see what happens.
You won't take care of the arrest report.
No, I'll get out an APD too. My turn up's a not bad job, don't it?
I'm too hungry. You still got that candy bar tonight?
Yeah, I'll go get it.
Here you go.
Who's the man you were with the other day?
I don't know. He made me like a horse. Dan and Sam.
I'll try.
I'll get it.
What do you got, Joe?
A gate.
I like that.
What?
Nicolle. The escape.
A broadcast and an all-points bulletin were gotten out on burning Nicolle.
All units in the vicinity of the escape were alerted.
An hour passed. There was no report on the suspect.
They checked with the main jail and got the details on their fate.
They told us that while Nicolle was being locked up in his cell,
he pushed his fingers into the door jamb and had them badly masked
and the cell door closed on him.
Both of Nicolle's wrists were then handcuffed,
and along with two other ailing suspects,
he was taken over to Georgia City and killed.
Two other ailing suspects were taken over to Georgia City
receiving hospital by a pair of transportation officers.
Going up the stairs to the hospital,
Nicolle had turned suddenly,
took one of the officers in his stomach,
and plugged the other one in his face.
It happened at about 414 PM.
By 11 o'clock that night, there wasn't a trace of the suspect.
7.30 the next morning, Ben and I took back in for work.
Nicolle was still alive.
Overnight report, Joe. Hamill left.
What do we got?
Yeah.
Electric store, gas station.
Another electric store.
Hopefully, we haven't held up between midnight and 2 AM.
Take a look at the balance of the script.
Yeah, yeah.
WMA, five feet nine, like 50 pounds.
Hidden bill, dark-haired, very dark eyes.
First reflection, deep scar on cheek.
How about it?
We didn't waste time getting started, did we?
We put a big cum down on Nicolle.
Diamond chest, a liquor store.
We were helping, we didn't have any clothes, no money.
How about that car you used on those jobs?
Bill and I were covering it early this morning.
We were going over to the plant.
What about it, Joe?
Really?
Yeah, I'll miss one right away.
Where did you get that call from again?
What's that?
It was the name, Andre.
Once we were out, we were in the canvass,
going over to one of the great schools over in Boilhike.
Who might be able to tell you something?
Me about what?
Nicolle.
I saw him last night.
We got in the car and drove over to the Boilhike
to a place where we located Matthew Hobbs' place of residence.
It was a small store on Delray Avenue,
one block from the neighborhood grammar school.
The sign out in front read,
made you neither candy parlor and variety store.
It was the usual display in the window.
A wind-up train, a few inexpensive dolls,
pencils, writing fabric, keys, and crepe paper.
Inside, the main attraction was
two long showcases filled with a variety of penny candies.
There was a small photo spot in the middle of the store
topped with a flag of Warren Marba.
Matthew Hobbs was a small thin man.
He looked to be in his mid-fifties.
The cat behind one of the counters
filling cellophane bags with Christmas candy
while he talked to us.
We asked him about Nicolle.
Yes, that's right.
I saw him there last night.
About ten o'clock, ten-fifteen.
No later.
He wanted me to help him.
Did you know Nicolle that well, Mr. Hobbs?
As well as I know most of the kids who grew up around here.
Yes, I guess I knew him well.
What did he ask for in the way of help?
His money, clothes.
He got no family left.
I guess I was the only one who got scammed there.
Well, how is it that you didn't notify us too, Mr. Hobbs?
I knew you'd ask.
Like a prince, I told you it's best to please.
You didn't need that bag there, Sergeant?
No.
No, no, no, the number two.
Yeah, those, yeah.
All right, here.
Thank you.
As I said, he knocked on my back door
about ten o'clock, now let him in.
I said, just like an animal.
Some kind of crazy animal.
You mean a fox, Tom?
Yeah, but the thing tonight that you was broken.
I made me file off and hand that to you.
I was doing it first.
I had no idea what was going on.
He said he'd clean me if I didn't help him.
But threateningly, I never saw a burn like that before.
Uh-huh.
You know, Sergeant, I knew that boy
when he was in grammar school right up the street there.
And he'd sit down and think sometimes, huh,
where they'd grow up and change.
What happened after you took the cuffs off of him?
He got out of his gear clothes and put on one of my suits.
Took what I had in my wallet, $12,
and then he kept running around and he found my gun.
He took that with him, too.
Well, didn't you think of calling for help?
Not the way we like it, Sergeant.
Just like a crazy animal.
He would kill me if I tried anything.
Warned me not to tell anybody.
He would come back and kill me if I did.
Well, I waited this morning and I called the police.
He said McCoy took a gun from Mr. Ham.
What kind of a gun was it?
32 automatic.
A Colt. I've had it for years.
I've had it for the new people.
He took just what he pleased, clothes, gun, money.
If you want the truth, Sergeant, I just thought he was brave enough
to try to stop him.
Well, when McCoy left here, did you know that he had a car?
No, he left on foot.
Walked across the street and went down that way, uh, Georgetown.
I don't know, I... I don't suppose you'll get too far.
I hope not.
Do you have any idea who he might have had a contact with?
One of his old friends, his wallet?
No, he doesn't have any folks I know of.
It's a terrible thing, isn't it, kids growing up?
Yeah.
There's a change, like McCoy.
I can understand them when they're kids.
I've seen hundreds of them come through here.
I know what they're thinking, how they feel.
Kind of a hobby.
I understand kids.
There's other things that go up.
All of a sudden they stop being kids.
I don't understand them after that.
After we left the county store, we went back to the office.
We got out a supplementary APD containing a description of the suspect's clothing and the gun that he'd stolen.
Together with Gonzales and Penner from robbery,
that and I checked all of McCoy's known friends in the usual hangout.
Stakeouts were placed. We got nowhere.
The ladies and holdups continued.
Thank you, the victims identified McCoy as the bandit.
He was the same M.O. in each case.
He worked only on the weekends, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.
He'd steal a car, pull three holdups in the train general area within an hour,
abandon the car in the train area, and then disappear.
Two weeks passed, and then a month.
The weekend robberies went on.
In the most recent holdup victims, we found out that McCoy had picked up a partner.
We checked the man's description through his staff office.
Each of their stolen cars used by the suspects and then abandoned were kept for print.
They failed to identify the second man.
The holdups continued.
McCoy and his partner were still alive.
Monday, January 26, 830 A.M.
Saturday night, I met with Captain Bidium.
What's the constable?
He used three holdups, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
He proved his point. He's consistent.
Now when do you blow the whistle on him?
We're doing everything we can to be done.
State that. Get some info on duty.
By the end of the day, by the 20th, I want some results.
I want them fast.
How about the time listed for the three pickups last night?
They've been double checked.
Well, correct.
There's something else for you.
What is it, John?
The drug store out in West Hollywood, robbed at 1114 P.M.
Yeah?
I know this one. Coffee shop out in the valley, robbed at 1121 P.M.
Both of them, you've seen them, over the same area.
That doesn't save them.
They couldn't have made it from the spot in West Hollywood out to the valley in seven minutes.
It's not possible. There's a report check-in.
I know, but how could they do it?
Mr. Senator, we're talking.
That's what he's got to be.
I can give you the shortcuts, you know?
McCoy, find him.
Another two weeks passed, and then two weeks more.
Besides the extra men and units put in service on weekends,
two dozen separate space outfares established in areas where we figured
McCoy and his accomplice would cite.
Didn't help much. The holdups continued.
There was only one difference.
The description of the bandit didn't drive anymore.
We still didn't have an answer to the superhuman speed that the T. Berman
TV show and robbing victims at widely separated points all within a short period of time.
We stayed on it.
Friday, February 21st.
Ben and I took our pain on night state out in a vacant store on Sunset Boulevard.
We were trying to cover a drug store in a bar directly across the street.
We spent two weekends on the job.
It was quiet. Nothing happened.
The third weekend was no different.
One thing for sure, we never have any luck taking state out, ruining this empty store
must be the graphiest place in town.
Oh, we've had worse.
What time is it?
Five past midnight.
That little band over in the bar sure earned their money, don't they?
They were loud all the way.
Here, Ben. Can you stop a look?
Hey, they were all retired on the street, I see.
Oh yeah, they're heading for the bar.
What do you think?
They've got dark hair, got the same belt. I got to get in a hurry.
I'm going in the bar.
Come on, come on.
Come on, we better hurry.
Right there, come on.
All right, throw them again.
Look out.
Hold it, hold it.
Throw them again.
Now come on, who's behind your head?
I'll take them.
All right, hold it right there.
You all right, Ben?
Yeah.
You had a good time.
I liked both of them. I meant right after that, huh?
Well, you better look again.
Huh?
Either one of them's Nicole.
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From the time that you enter one of 300 almond villages in Oregon,
that's the P. Alvin there, decided to break down and cooperate.
1 AM, they interrogated him.
I got something out of it going on, helping you.
You know, I forget I helped you when you get me in court.
You know, I was just being over my speech.
You made me out of court, I went to surely.
I knew I never could have went for it.
Believe me, it won't happen again.
The caller, he talked me in with a car to the left,
he helped me on my pickup.
I was his partner in the Sparksman factory road trip.
Yeah, that's right.
You can't even call me a school-proved sister, man.
I was stuck there enough to go for it.
How long did you work with him?
Just a couple of weeks then.
Three, four maybe.
I didn't get along with him.
Nobody gets along with him.
He's a little crazy, you know what I'm saying?
Who's working with him?
I don't know.
He's had two, three different guys down the woods with him.
Say, Sergeant, can I have a drink of water, please?
I'll get you some tea.
I'll tell you what, man.
How about the way that Cody works?
He's been through three or four robberies in that old town.
A lot of guys work on that, Joe.
Oh, they all take it the same way, huh?
Yeah, sure.
When I left him on one on my own, I picked up a partner
and used his system.
Pretty good one, huh?
Yeah, it looked like a good one.
Yeah, he was picking up a hot car, dropping it down.
Yeah, you got it.
Must be half a dozen guys in this town
working with just the man on the phone.
It's a McCoy.
He called it cool.
Where do we find a PTO?
McCoy?
No, not for sure.
He's got figures, you know.
He's a museum guy.
He only comes up for a weekend's work.
On Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he takes off again.
Takes off for what?
When down by a border someplace, Tom says, you know,
I'm not sure.
You know, don't forget I'm helping you, huh?
You'll never know how cooperative I am.
Oh, we'll let him know, PTO.
Where's the last time you saw McCoy?
Oh, it's been a month anyway.
I never want to see him again.
So it may help you.
I know where his cell phone stays.
Well, probably on cell phone, in part, I can give you a address.
He probably goes there once in a while.
Mm-hmm.
Anywhere else he thinks of?
No, I'll ask about it.
He won't be any pushover, so I can like I said,
I can give you a little crazy.
It's not going to be an easy one to take.
Well, we'll give it a try.
Oh, I mean it that way.
He's wild, but together, my dear.
Just one thing.
Sure.
You'll have to come first.
345 AM.
Pete Albiner, the new The Complex,
we booked at the Minigale on suspicion 211-22.
The next morning, better I checked out
the address of Nicole's girlfriend,
which Albiner had given us.
The girlfriend's name was Esther Ravine.
She told us that she hadn't seen Nicole in more than two weeks.
They asked her if she knew where this estate stayed when he was in town.
She gave us an address on South Seacoast.
We called in and arranged for a stakeout on the girl's place,
and we drove over to check the address that she'd given us.
There was a small apartment court on the edge of the industrial district.
Nicole wasn't there, neither was her manager.
We talked to one of the tenants.
They told us that the manager on Mrs. Clarifon came without a town.
He said that last year was gone.
Her daughter Norma was looking after the place.
Her daughter was employed as a secretary
at the Blue Crop Hospital plan office over on Wilshire Boulevard.
We called the office and arranged for another stakeout
at the apartment court.
1.25 PM.
We located Elaine and his daughter at the Blue Crop office on Wilshire.
We showed her Nicole's mug shot.
My sister, one of Mom's kids, Mr. Reynolds,
she's in Bungalow 5.
Anyone staying with him this Sunday?
No, in Georgia, Steve, I didn't know.
He has visitors, though.
Is there something wrong?
When did you see this man last?
This man?
When I was leaving for work, he was outside working in his car.
He was just taking a picture.
Go ahead.
Hey, Carl.
You see?
I see.
No, just address the letter to Blue Crop Hospital,
and you can send it back there at the Wilshire office.
That's all right.
You're welcome.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what I'm going to say.
You told us that you saw this man looking at his car this morning.
Oh, yes, he was, like, parked right outside his car.
I couldn't bear where I missed it.
I'm going to tell Mom about it.
I need to get home.
What's that mean?
It was hurting my stomach because it's not that time of year.
That's why I noticed it.
What's that?
It was something that lightens the place on his car.
Did you get the number?
It's right here on the screen.
One thirty-two p.m.
With the information furnished by the girl,
Ben got on the phone and called in a description of the suspect's car
together with a few sets of license numbers.
With a 1941 Ford sedan, dark blue, white side, and low tires.
Communications got out of broadcast and a supplementary APV on it.
At six p.m., Ben and I relieved the men on a stakeout at Nicole's apartment.
They waited.
No sign of them.
They checked with the office on the hour.
No sign of the car.
Eight p.m.
Still nothing going.
Eleven o'clock.
Nothing.
The dollar continued from Rob.
We drove out and relieved us and we headed back to the office.
Eleven twenty-six p.m.
What do you think?
I don't know.
It's like every hole I could think of.
There's good for a break in there.
Over here.
I can use these things.
Really?
What is it?
What's he doing?
Right away.
Yeah, right away.
You ever?
I'm here going to move on.
Yeah?
12th and Beacon, Southeast corner.
Where is it?
Nicole Leach's car.
They got it spotted.
Eleven fifty-six p.m.
Ben and I built it in the vicinity of 12th and Beacon home.
Checked with the men in unit 80K.
He spotted the car.
They'd gotten out a code five on it.
The description matched perfectly.
A 1941 Ford sedan, dark blue, white sidewall tires.
The license number was one of those given us by the apartment manager's daughter that afternoon.
Together with the two men in 86K, he staked out on the suspect's car at a distance.
It parked almost exactly in the middle of the block.
About 20 feet behind it, a red and white delivery truck was parked.
The street looked fairly deserted.
The only place of business open was a small corner bar supply under the block.
12th street.
One a.m.
No one came near the dark blue sedan.
We waited.
Two a.m.
The corner bar closed up.
A man came out, got on the red and white delivery truck, and drove off.
10.30 a.m.
The dark blue sedan was still sitting there.
We kept waiting.
Roger. 50 now. Code seven.
One way or the other, I wish you'd make up your mind.
It's a long way.
It's colder in here than it was in that vacant store.
But it kept. It kept repeating.
Yeah, right off the hook.
80K to control one.
Control one to 80K. Go ahead.
80K to control one. We clear.
Control one to 80K. Stand by.
Oh, you're on smoke.
Oh, I'm out.
You too?
Yeah.
I guess we do without you.
Control one to 80K.
Control one to 80K. You're clear.
Code one.
80K to control one. Roger.
10-86.
Let me have a look, Joe.
This kind of car.
Yeah.
Far end of the block opposite side.
Isn't that this way?
Yeah.
You make out two of them there?
Uh-huh.
Two.
They're passing by just to drain it.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
They're getting there, I think.
Come on.
I'll just go.
They're getting out.
All right, hold it there.
Both of you.
Now, Joe.
Get off the toy.
Find a car.
Uh-huh.
All right, hold it.
Don't shoot, Joe.
Drop the gun.
Both of you.
Harry, don't shoot.
Drop the gun.
Don't kill it.
Get up, Harry.
Don't kill it.
Come on.
Pull him up.
Don't shoot.
Here's my gun.
Don't shoot.
Pull him.
Come on, Harry.
You gotta shut up.
Let's go.
Yeah, careful.
There's a gun.
Don't shoot.
He's got my hand.
Drop it.
I'll keep him up.
OK, I will.
But don't shoot.
I didn't use my gun.
Harry did.
I told you to come on me, you heard me.
You heard me.
Told me to not to shoot.
Check my gun.
I didn't shoot it, too.
Come on.
Get him out in front of me.
I'll get you in the car.
Come on, Lofi.
Third time for me.
My right foot.
You ready?
Let's go.
Please, huh?
You ain't break?
You took the wrong time to call me.
Please, huh?
This is the third time for me.
I'm no good in that.
You had your chances to take them away.
Let's make a deal.
I'm no good in jail.
No good at all.
We're a little better out here.
Let's go.
The story you just heard was true.
Only the men were there to protect the innocent.
On May 24th, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 87, City and County of Los Angeles,
State of California.
In a moment, the results of that trial.
Vernon Niccoli and his accomplices were tried and convicted on several counts of first degree
robbery.
They received sentences as prescribed by law and are now serving their terms in the state
penitentiary.
First degree robbery is punishable by a prison term of not less than five years with a maximum
life term.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Red Cross has been asked by your government to help the nation
mobilize for defense.
You can help by giving generously to the Red Cross.
You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authenticators from official files.
Technical advice comes from the Office of the People's Police, W.H.
Butcher, Los Angeles Police Department.