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ATF agent recounts infamous Waco shootout
By Heather M. Goodwin, hgoodwin@starlocalnews.com
In 1993, Highland Village resident Sam Cohen was the youngest member of the Dallas team of agents preparing to serve a warrant at a Waco compound - an event that would end with the deaths of four agents.
Cohen is a member of Dallas' Special Response Team (SRT) of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). The day of the Waco raid was his first call out on the SRT.
On Feb. 28, 1993 around 7 p.m. ATF agents tried to serve a warrant at Mount Carmel Center near Waco, the compound of the Branch Davidians. David Koresh, who was being accused of physically abusing children in the compound, statutory rape and polygamy, led the cult. Agents were also concerned that the Davidians were stockpiling illegal weapons.
Cohen said it was believed that Koresh kept his weapons under lock and key, so agents wanted to get there before he might pass out guns. However, the Davidians learned of the warrant serving and were waiting when agents arrived.
"We were on cattle trucks when we pulled up to the compound. When we pulled up, Koresh told his second in command that he was going to tell the farmer to leave, which was the only way we got so close," Cohen said.
Koresh never made it very close to the cattle truck before gunfire began to erupt.
"He had already passed out guns by the time we arrived. We now believed more than 80 people were shooting at us," Cohen said. "I was supposed to be the eighth person off the truck, but before I could get off, I heard machine guns hitting the trailer."
Cohen said the ATF agents were armed, but not with machine guns.
"As I stepped off the truck, I got shot in my lower left side, but my own gun stopped the round. I ran with my team toward the front door, which was closed. We could see wood, paint, and Styrofoam shooting out through the rounds that the Davidians were shooting," Cohen said. "As we got near the front door, someone on their side dropped three grenades out a second story widow."
ATF agent Jerry Patrilli took the brunt of the attack, Cohen said. Some pieces of shrapnel went through his arms and went into his chest. Cohen was hit with six pieces in his lower right thigh.
"After that we exchanged gunfire for more than two hours," Cohen said. "The amount of rounds fired in Waco is unbelievable. There had not been that many rounds shot since the Civil War. It's estimated that 10,000 rounds were shot at us, and we shot back about 1,000 rounds."
Cohen said more SRT units were brought in from St. Louis and Denver to relieve the original teams because there were so many injured. Texas DPS troopers helped agents set up perimeters around the compound.
During the raid, ATF agents Steve Willis, Robert J. Williams, Conway LaBleu and Todd McKeehan were killed.
"It took us a while to carry out our dead and injured. We had to walk about a quarter mile because the ambulances wouldn't come close to the compound," Cohen said. "We were at the compound about a week before the FBI came in. I'm not sure how many of them [Davidians] were killed that day, but we were told that some who weren't going to make it were executed by Koresh."
The FBI initiated a siege on the Waco compound that ended 50 days later when a fire destroyed it after a second assault by agents. During the fire, 76 men, women and children, including Koresh, died. In all, 86 people died during the incident including the six Davidians that died on the first day.
Moving forward
Cohen remains a member of the same team that raided the compound in 1993. He said now there are only five AFT SRT units in the nation.
"I kept on with the job because I figured I'd seen the worst," Cohen said. "Many people said that they thought I'd resign from the team, but I said no. I thought surely this is as bad as it gets."
Since the 1993 Waco incident, ATF has not had anyone killed on an SRT mission according to Cohen.
"The ATF SRT program has not lost anyone in 20 years, which is pretty remarkable," Cohen said. "We do a lot of operations - last year we had 250 operations in the program, so it's pretty much one a week."
Prior to joining the ATF, Cohen was a Dallas police officer. He said in one year while he was on the force seven officers were killed.
"Since I joined ATF, we may have had seven agents killed in past 23 years," Cohen said. "I always tell my family that the thing that's most dangerous is surprise. What we do is dangerous, but we know it's going to be that way."
On the 20th anniversary of the most well-known raid Cohen was involved with, he travelled back to Waco with his family to reflect on the event and remember those who were killed.
"I got to see a lot of the people who were there that day and have since retired. We also visited the law enforcement memorial where the names of the four ATF agents are carved," Cohen said.
During the anniversary program, the ATF director spoke about the agents lost, the Waco Police Department presented the colors and bagpipes were played. Cohen's daughter Megan sang the national anthem. The 17-year-old senior at Marcus High School is in the choir and has sung the anthem at other events.
"It was really special for Megan to be a part of the anniversary," Cohen said. "The event wrapped up with a 21 gun salute. It was really a time to reflect and remember and pay tribute to the men who were lost and to remember that day. The whole day was something I'll obviously never forget. One of the agents, Wade Brown, who's still an agent refers to it as the worst day of his life."
Cohen said he doesn't view his role in the raid as being a part of history.
"I remember those guys who were lost, and I think about the fact that we need to do the best we can so that we don't lose anyone else," Cohen said. "I've been to plenty of police funerals, some you can't prevent, but those that can, we need to work hard to prevent them."
Cohen said after the 1993 raid, a local newspaper printed the names of the injured agents, and his name was included. An elementary school in Carrollton wrote get-well cards to each agent. After receiving his card, he asked if he could thank the students in person.
"In late April that same year, I went to the school and thanked the kids and gave a talk about what I did for a living. I brought in some of my gear for the children to look at," Cohen said. "On that day, Chad Oubre was one of the students. He still has the article and photo that was printed. He is now an ATF agent in Oklahoma City."
Cohen was hired by ATF 23 years ago, and he petitioned to be a part of the SRT. He said to become a member you must be a special agent with the ATF for minimum of five years.
"I decided to be an ATF agent because I thought it was a better option than continuing my work as a police officer," Cohen said. "I was an officer for four years, but city politics were very divisive in Dallas, and lots of people left the force. I still really enjoy this, the adrenaline and excitement is what I really like. I also like the team atmosphere we have."
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