The hostage taker Sterling Alavache peers over a computer monitor just before police turned his lights off. Screen capture by Boch via Lee County, FL Sheriff.

“Talk to me. Let me know what’s going through your head right now.”  Those words were spoken by a police hostage negotiator as a sharpshooter lined up to take a shot. Their goal? To neutralize a bank robber turned hostage taker in Lee County, Florida. In fact, those words must have marked the negotiator’s signal to take the shot as Sterling Alavache held a knife to a woman’s throat.

The bad guy tried to use a computer monitor to hide from police. He soon learned the difference between cover and concealment as moments later, the suppressed .308 barked softly. The round ended the threat, leaving blood and tissue adorning the back wall.

Sterling collapsed like a sack of ‘taters and the hostages scurried for cover as cops deployed flash bangs in case the shot didn’t work as intended.

However the shot was near-perfect. Alavache never heard or saw the flashbangs.

Thankfully the hostages were largely uninjured, save the hearing loss from the flash bangs.

WINK has more, including the name of the police lieutenant who took the shot.

On Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office released a graphic new video from an attempted bank robbery turned deadly.

A SWAT sniper shot and killed the suspect Sterling Alavache, while he held two hostages at knifepoint.

This happened back in February at the Bank of America at Bell Tower. A warning: some of the video is graphic, and viewer discretion is advised.

Just before taking his shot, The sniper now identified as Lieutenant Paul Nader rested his gun on the shoulder of one of his teammates, but blocking Lieutenant Nader’s shot of Alavache was a computer monitor.

The Lee County Sheriffs Office has also released another angle of the moment lieutenant Nader fired the shot.

The moment right after the shot, the two hostages can be seen running for cover, the suspect on the floor and a gaping hole in the computer monitor seen just moments ago.

Second later, The SWAT team swarms inside, jumping the desk and releasing a flash bang.

The hostages now free, and Alavache, dead on the floor.

Lieutenant Nader was honored for his bravery on June 5 with both the Deputy of the Quarter award and the Meritorious Service award. One of the hostages was there to thank him personally.

Outstanding shot, lieutenant. Shooting off someone’s shoulder isn’t easy, especially when no-shoot targets are only inches away from the intended freedom pill recipient.  Particularly when the bad guy keeps moving and using a computer monitor to obstruct the line-of-sight view.

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47 COMMENTS

  1. So next time some angsty incel transistor on psych meds decides to share their broken brain with a school full of kids maybe tell the 911 operator the school is actually a bank and the kids are actually stacks of cash to get a better response.

    • I wouldn’t bet money that Texas cops would respond any differently to a bank hold up vs a school being shot up. Uvalde should of been eye opening to many of you that not only are you on your own but the cops maybe aiding the assailant. Texas is a particular bag of shit. Texas cops have no issue messing your day up unless you are a criminal that might fight back.

  2. “Tell me what is going through your head right now…”

    Too bad the BG wasn’t able to reply that it was a 7.62mm projectile.

    • 308 huh? Coincidentally I’m putting a bolt 308 on layaway this week. Likely a basic Savage. I anticipate quite a few kerfuffle’s this summer & ILLANNOY has made it hazardous to use my AR(but it’s available in nearby Indiana). Another old friend advised I spend a bunch. Or should I get the 223 bolt gun which I have thousands of rounds already?

      • .308 is expensive and if you have to buy it to feed a new popper than it might make more sense to get the 556. How many 300 yard shots do you expect to need to make in Illanoystan? Probably not enough to warrant having to load up on a new caliber.

        • Heck I don’t want either SF. I have at least 1000rds of green-tip 556. Unfortunately my chit state made things like flash hiders(!) verboten so the newer Ruger’s & Savage’s are out( no threaded barrel either). I know a basic Mini14 passes muster but a thousand bucks?!? I don’t want a frankengun like those poor saps in Commiefornia.

          • 308 is probably the cheapest full sized short action rifle round. With that said yes more expensive than 5.56 (green tip is fine for a lot of oddball issues but other options may be better for various uses). With the new rifle/scope do you have a place to shoot it and get good and is your shoulder up to heavier than 5.56 recoil. Not calling you out just a consideration I hear come up a lot from my elders. Finally would 200+rounds be too expensive (use 100 or more to sight in and get used to it save 100 to not touch and then buy what you shoot as needed/desired)? And obviously adjust numbers. Also nothing wrong with a bolt action 5.56 with bullets at 68 grains and above for further than 300m but less than 800.

            • I’m pretty hardy at 70. I reverse curled 140×7 yesterday pretty strict if you know what that is. Recoil doesn’t bother me. And I have a Limbsaver. And scopes.

              • Then it’s a question of want vs useful vs costs. I enjoy the 308 (and various other chamberings in that diameter) because it is widely available for reloading options and actually worth the cost of case bullet and primers. But for my region 5.56 is more than sufficient for “distance” shooting (lots of forested mountains and few distance ranges). With that said even with all the trouble of buying ammo here you break even between buying new and reloading 5.56 unless you get cases for free. In your case how far do you want to shoot it and at what would probably be good questions.

        • .308WIN can do a lot more than 5.56.
          With the right ammunition, it can be a varmint rifle, a medium to large game rifle, as seen in the article an sniper rifle with less deflection from going through barriers, an anti-material rifle to a degree, and a long range rifle of 1000yrds.
          A 5.56 is a good varmint round, which it was based off of.

          • Can, now try getting the various loadings without resorting to reloading equipment in less gun friendly states while a nationwide panic buy has been going on for years. As to varmint well humans seem to qualify without too much trouble over the years.

            • I started reloading over 20 years ago when I was competeing in NRA high power. Have not had to buy centerfire since.
              I live in the same state you do.
              I want and need a round that can do most things well. Not a round that can only do one thing well.

              • Again depends on what you are going for, but assuming you want 400-800m effective engagement range, some level of barrier (but not armor) penetration, relatively cheap and available components then yes 308 is just about perfect especially with having more load flexibility. 30-06 can be better but expense and other issues can counter it’s better load options. For most people 5-200m is about all they will tend to shoot (or be able to access easily) and 5.56 does have a lot of great options in that range for all the same considerations as 308. Also I have perforated lv3 steel and uhmwpe plates with standard 5.56 loadings and have not been able to do the same outside of mil issued AP in 7.62. Use case and budget apply all around.

            • This in response to you https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/decisive-video-of-florida-deputy-taking-down-hostage-taking-bank-robber/#comment-7124889
              comment.
              I also need a round that can be used in heavy bush and not deflect if it hits a tree limb.
              I have bullets from 100gr RN, 110grn Varmintgeddon, 125grn GameKings, 150grn Megas, 155grn SST, 168grn BT, 168grn Custom Competitions, 170grn LockBase, 175gnr Scenar-L, 175grn RDF. Those cover a lot more bases than anything in 5..56. I am probably forgeting about another half dozen I have.
              If I am facing off with someone wearing body armor, aim for the pelvis and use a 168grn Nosler BT.
              I also buy high quality brass I can get about six reloads out of before I have to retire them. Lowers my overall cost. I have several hundred pieces from two different manufactures each, still NIB from the early 2000s.

              • Very cool and I have some of those options in my queue for loading. But not everyone reloads or has much use for rifles beyond intermediate level. Also never noticed POI getting meaningfully deflected with 5.56 by brush (probably because the shots were under 100m). Doesn’t stop me from enjoying my 45-70 but admittedly that is more just for fun than any worries of brush. And try out your local stores re ammo selection to get an idea of what new (or new another caliber) shooters have to work with. We often forget that it’s not about us when it’s in our interest areas.

  3. Awesome southpaw shot using a buddy as a rest…I was concerned with the moving but he was solid as a statue when he took the shot. Again, awesome shot.

    • haw, hadto watch in slomo, but first he tryed to pull trigger but was a valvestem in the way, , what dumbshit put that their ?

  4. You can keep your 5.56/223.

    I never liked the M16A1. Unreliability and underpowered.

    All my rifles are 308/7.62

    • You do realize the US Forces are now using the M4? All the earlier problems were mainly traced to ammunition and lack of maintenance. The original AR was based on the .308 round and they scaled it down for 5.56. I’d find it incredibly ironic if all you own is AR-10s.

      • Some don’t like things or have trouble incorporating new information. Try explaining M855a1 to someone who thinks green tip sucks.

    • The question I always have is, if the 5.56 is so good, why did they have to come up with things like the 6.8SPR, or the 5.56EPR?
      And now, the Army has ditched the 5.56 for the .277FURY. Kind throws the whole, you can carry more rounds, lower weight in 5.56 than .308WIN arguement out the window.

      • Still using 5.56 and we will see what happens if anything with the 6.8 for the army. As to why the epr, to get through various martial and low grade armor that 7.62 NATO ball and non-ap rounds were getting stopped by more cheaply than actual AP rounds or a 50bmg while still being able to carry a fuckload of ammo with less weight. But yes would love to see the 7.62 epr become more readily available. As to the various AR related wildcats yeah they exist but so what? Unless they exist in relevant numbers (6.5 grendel is the only one I have seen on the shelves ever) they are boutique rounds that practically require reloading. Meanwhile let’s apply this argument to 6.5 Creedmore vs 308……. 5.56 is fine for most things most people will ever do. For everything else there are a lot of good options.

        • From reading the briefing slides on the EPR, there was a lot of “over coming the deficiencies of the green tip,” “better down range performance than the green tip,” “better terminal effects than the green tip,”
          6.5 Creedmore vs .308? Why not do 6.5 Creedmore vs 6.5 Swed. Vs .260Rem. 6.5x47L. The Swed has been around for over a hundred years. Does about the same thing. The differences between the Creedmore and the .260REM and the 6.5x47L are minimal.
          But in the end, the .308WIN brass is a lot cheaper and more available then any of the 6.5s.
          For the military, logistically speaking, 7.62×51 in AP would make a lot more sense than the .277FURY. Might have to bump up the FPS for an assault rifle, but in a MG be fine. The MG240, despite being heavy, was my favorite. The M16A2 did not impress me. A NM M1A that is a rifle.

          • Fully agree with the 277/6.8 making more sense in MG and part of it is potentially sufficient AP with carbide steel core vs tungsten carbide due to the smaller surface area and resulting higher bc. No idea if it turned out that way but the epr 5.56 essentially turned level 3 plates into weight vests within 100m+. Nowhere near as good as m995 but substantially cheaper and easier to make. As far as 7.62 AP it matters what core but assuming similar load energy the 6.8 is going through more stuff until newer ceramics get involved then things get complicated.

            • *lower end lv 3 plates re 855a1defeating them, the better ceramic composite plates did way better and some are specifically rated for it now.

  5. Amazing video. Sniper at close range working with a reliable system within a one or two inch window of opportunity. The computer screen is shown without a hole in the upper right and then it has a white hole in it. Badass takedown.

  6. The sniper demonstrated excellent skills – but the LEO acting as a rest deserves acclaim also: amazing discipline and body control.

    • Yes, it takes two for this tango. That’s often how we shot the fencerow groundhogs that were way off on the horizon. Good ear pro helps you learn not to flinch when that muzzle blossoms in front of your face. Well done.

    • yeah, it slowed the bullet down a little – just like a car windshield or door does.

    • possum,

      There are reasons to conclude that the shot on Mrs. Weaver was intentional. If true, it would mean that the Mrs. Weaver shot was even more impressive since it was from much farther away and killed two people with one bullet/shot.

  15. “… no-shoot targets are only inches away from the intended freedom pill recipient.”

    I may have to start using that “freedom pill recipient” nomenclature.

  16. I built an 8.6 BLK using a Faxon 8-inch barrel and Anderson AR-10 parts. I also put a .338 SilencerCentral silencer on it and Vortex Razor 1-6 LPVO. It is a bad-ass caliber, 1 in 3 twist rate spins the rounds at 500,000 rpm. Barnes 210gr TSX copper milled bullets expand and the petals created act like a blender going through flesh. Amazing penetration.

    Check out the 8.6 rounds and ballistic gel tests.

    • Would need to check on the math but wouldn’t the rotation only be around or less than one turn every 3 inches as it goes through since that is how it would be accelerated through the barrel? Maybe 3 or 4 full turns though a torso? With that said lot of neat things happening with copper options.

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