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Capital One Bank Robbery Suspect Shot and Killed

A female hostage was taken but was able to get away.

 

Update, 4:25 p.m.: Montgomery County Police Assistant Police Chief Drew Tracy identified the bank robbery suspect as a hispanic male around 40-years-old at a news conference. Tracy said the name of the suspect will not be revealed until next of kin is notified.

Officers involved in the shooting from the Takoma Park Police and Prince George's County police were placed on administrative leave, which is standard, Takoma Park Police Chief Ron Ricucci said.

As the suspect walked into the bank wielding a package that was meant to look like explosives, a patron got into an altercation with him and tried to take the suspect down. The patron was pistol whipped, but did not sustain life threatening injuries. Police said the package was fake and did not contain any explosives. The suspect also had fake explosives strapped to his chest.

During the robbery, a bank teller slipped a dye pack into the bag the suspect was using to transport money. When the suspect left the bank with the female hostage, the dye pack exploded. This gave the hostage time to run. The suspect ran after her, with the gun pointed at her. The suspect slipped and police shot at him, Tracy said. The suspect did not get off any shots, he said, and died at the scene.

A Prince George's Police officer was grazed by a bullet that ricocheted, Tracy said.

Update, 12:09 p.m.: Takoma Park Police Chief Ronald Ricucci confirmed that the suspect in the bank robbery and hostage situation at the Capital One Bank on University Boulevard East has died.

He also confirmed that one Prince George's County Police officer was grazed by a bullet during the incident.

Six officers — three from Takoma Park Police and three from Prince George's County Police — opened fire on the suspect outside of the bank, Ricucci said. The suspect had come out of the bank holding a gun to the head of a female hostage, but when he slipped, she was able to break free. The suspect then starting running, and that is when the officers shot him. The hostage was not harmed.

Ricucci said that the suspect was wearing some kind of material on his chest that was made to look like an explosive. He was also carrying a bag. The package he carried and the material on his chest turned out to be styrofoam.

The first call for the bank robbery came in at 9:26 a.m., when someone inside the bank reported a suspicious bag and hung up, Ricucci said. Another call came in at 9:27 a.m. reporting a robbery in progress. The third call said that it was an armed robbery.

Takoma Park Police arrived at the scene first, and one officer was able to see from outside the bank that a man inside was holding a gun to someone's head. Six people were inside the bank at the time. Five of them left the bank on their own, and it is unclear whether they were held as hostages at any point during the incident.

The bank is now clear. Takoma Park would normally lead this type of investigation, but because their officers were involved in the shooting, they are handing it over to Montgomery County Police.

A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Update, 11:44 a.m.: Cpl. Dan Friz of the Montgomery County Police gave this account of what occurred Friday morning at the Capital One Bank on University Boulevard East:

Officers responded to a bank robbery in progress at 1181 University Boulevard East before 10 a.m. When the suspect walked out of the bank, he was holding a female hostage by her neck and held a gun to her head.

The suspect walked out of the bank with money on him, but the police do not yet know the amount.

As he walked out, the suspect slipped, and the female hostage was able to run away. The suspect ran after the hostage, and that’s when officers shot him. Police do not know the suspect's condition, according to Friz.

Update, 11:30 a.m.: A press conference is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Takoma-Langley Shopping Center near the Expo Mart with officials from Prince George's and Montgomery counties and Takoma Park.

Update, 11:28 a.m.: Police have cordoned off the media near the Taco Bell across the street from the scene. Officials from Prince George's County, Montgomery County, Takoma Park and FBI are on the scene, as is the bomb squad from Prince George's County.

Update, 10:59 a.m.: Cpl. Evan Baxter of the Prince George's County Police said he could not confirm that a police officer had been shot. TBD is reporting that an officer had been shot in the leg during the incident.

Baxter said that Montgomery County Police is going into the bank to confirm that there are no more suspects in the building. Police have not yet determined which agency will take the lead in the investigation. This branch of Capital One is located at the intersection between Takoma Park and Langley Park.

Original Post, 10:32 a.m.: A bank robbery suspect who had apparently taken a hostage at the Capital One Bank on University Boulevard East has been shot by police, according to media reports.

Police were called to the bank at around 9:30 a.m., according to the Washington Post. TBD is reporting that all hostages are safe but that the suspect has died.

Bob

10:53 pm on Friday, January 28, 2011

Hey Ryan! What do you want to bet??????!!!

Reply

Kathryn Quigley

10:59 pm on Friday, January 28, 2011

I just saw this story in the news and immediately came to your Patch site to read more. Good hustle. Crazy story!!
--Kathryn Quigley

Reply

Ryan McDermott

3:36 pm on Saturday, January 29, 2011

Kathryn! I'm glad you checked out the story.

Reply

Bob

5:15 pm on Saturday, January 29, 2011

Geez, they were able to ID the police - how come we're having a problem with the name of the bandit that was robbing the bank?

Reply

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