Clark County (The Evening News)
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Bank robbery suspect killed by police after standoff
Police have not identified suspect
JEFFERSONVILLE — A suspected bank robber was shot dead in Jeffersonville by police after a standoff that lasted approximately five hours.
Jeffersonville Police Department Detective Todd Hollis said JPD received an alarm call at 1:27 p.m. Saturday from the U.S. Bank inside the Meijer store on Allison Lane. Police received word of a robbery in progress.
Hollis said a bank employee watched the male suspect enter a white Dodge truck, and he followed him along East 10th Street and onto Springdale Drive.
An off-duty police officer got into position behind the suspect’s vehicle and attempted a traffic stop at Springdale and Sandra Drive.
The suspect then pulled forward toward East Eighth Street and was surrounded by police.
“They ordered him out of the vehicle, and he refused,” Hollis said.
A patrol officer used a public-address system to make contact with the suspect. An officer had seen what appeared to be a gun in his hand.
Hollis said the man made several “aggressive moves at the police officers.”
He was seen rolling his window up and down and opening and shutting his door several times.
The suspect called 911 from his cell phone, but negotiations stalled until after 6 p.m. At that time, another officer began using the public-address system to make contact again.
Hollis said the man told police he would surrender.
“He stepped out of the truck with the gun in his hand,” Hollis said.
He had a small semi-automatic handgun, possibly .380 or a .22-caliber, Hollis said.
Police were heard ordering the man to put down the gun, but he did not. Officers fired two “less lethal soft rounds” that knocked the man to the ground and knocked the gun out of his hand.
Hollis said the man quickly picked up the gun and repositioned himself behind the truck.
“It didn’t appear at any time he was surrendering,” Hollis said.
He then moved toward police cars and leveled his gun at the officers, Hollis said.
Hollis said seven officers fired shots at that time. The man was transported by ambulance to University Hospital in Louisville where he was pronounced dead.
Police are still investigating how many shots were fired. Hollis said detectives would go to the hospital to determine how many times the suspect was shot and in what part of his body.
The truck was registered to a man in Evansville. Police said they were calling the suspect by the name on the registration, and he was responding.
Because they have not confirmed that it was him, they did not release his name Saturday night.
“He tried to control the negotiations,” Hollis said. “He would ask for things and not want to give up anything.”
Hollis said the man asked for a phone, but refused to offer anything in exchange, such as removing the key from the ignition.
He was found with an undisclosed amount of money in his pockets, believed to be from the robbery. Few details from the robbery were available, but Hollis said the man used a note. He did not know if he ever displayed a weapon.
Dozens of people gathered just outside of police barricades during the standoff, and many witnessed the shooting.
“It was very traumatic,” said Vicki Hurst, 57, of Jeffersonville. “I just started shaking afterward. I think I’m going to go home and try to forget about it.”
- Clark County (The Evening News)
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Reserve funds gone for Clark County
