Southern California, the 1970s. Five heavily armed young men-- led by an apocalyptic born-again Christian-- attempted a bank robbery that turned into one of the most violent criminal events in U.S. history. Houlahan explains how a group of landscapers transformed into a murderous gang of bank robbers armed to the teeth with military-grade weapons. Their desperate getaway turned the surrounding towns into war zones. When it was over, three were dead and close to twenty wounded; a police helicopter was forced down from the sky, and thirty-two police vehicles were destroyed by thousands of rounds of ammo. The resulting trial raised many issues that continue to plague society today: from the epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder within law enforcement to religious extremism and the militarization of local police forces. -- adapted from jacket;"Norco '80 tells the story of how five heavily armed young men--led by an apocalyptic born-again Christian--attempted a bank robbery that turned into one of the most violent criminal events in U.S. history, forever changing the face of American law enforcement. Part action thriller and part courtroom drama, Norco '80 transports the reader back to the Southern California of the 1970s, an era of predatory evangelical gurus, doomsday predictions, megachurches, and soaring crime rates, with the threat of nuclear obliteration looming over it all. In this riveting true story, a group of landscapers transformed into a murderous gang of bank robbers armed to the teeth with military-grade weapons. Their desperate getaway turned the surrounding towns into war zones. When it was over, three were dead and close to twenty wounded; a police helicopter was forced down from the sky, and thirty-two police vehicles were destroyed by thousands of rounds of ammo. The resulting trial shook the community to the core, raising many issues that continue to plague society today: from the epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder within law enforcement to religious extremism and the militarization of local police forces." -- Dust jacket.;The Jupiter effect -- Zeroed out -- The RSO -- Takeover -- The end of the world -- Wineville -- The graveyard of care -- Interstate -- Ambush -- Some men never get to see their sons grow up -- Shot through the heart -- The Norco 3 -- Bricks in the wall -- Contempt -- The investigator -- On behalf of the people -- Friendly fire -- Scandal -- Who the fuck is Jerry Cohen? -- Stockholm syndrome.