Virginia Tech, Columbine, North Hollywood, Waco, MOVE, Howard Johnson's, and the Texas Tower. Because of their significant impact on American law enforcement, we know these deadly events by their names even decades later.
It was the 1966 Texas Tower shooting rampage in Austin that gave birth to the modern SWAT concept. North Hollywood caused many police departments to adopt patrol rifles. And it was the 1999 Columbine massacre that caused the overhaul of active shooter response.
Yet, over time, some major law enforcement incidents have faded into obscurity, except where they occurred. One such "forgotten" event is the July 23, 1968, Glenville Shootout and Riot, the deadliest night in the 212-year history of the city of Cleveland.
It's rare to receive a formal invitation to remember a shootout and riot. But that's what participants, like myself, received for this year's 40th anniversary commemoration of the Glenville Shootout and Riot.
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