‘It was like a movie’
Cops probe whether suspect in attempted bank robbery linked to other crimes
Published:Thursday | December 30, 2021 | 12:12 AMHopeton Bucknor/Gleaner Writer
To access this article in full please login or register today
INVESTIGATORS IN Montego Bay, St James, are trying to determine if the unidentified male who was fatally shot yesterday morning while attempting to stage a robbery at the Scotiabank branch in Sam Sharpe Square in the parish had a history of mental...
INVESTIGATORS IN Montego Bay, St James, are trying to determine if the unidentified male who was fatally shot yesterday morning while attempting to stage a robbery at the Scotiabank branch in Sam Sharpe Square in the parish had a history of mental illness.
Also, the police say they are investigating if he was the culprit behind several other knife robberies that took place in the downtown area of Montego Bay over the past two weeks.
“We are still trying to get his true identity and to determine if he has a mental history, and also, we are working with other evidence to determine if he is linked in any way to various robberies in Montego Bay over the past two weeks,” a senior police officer told The Gleaner.
He added: “We will also be stepping up patrols and police presence in Montego Bay, moreso within the busy township, to ensure that incidents such as these are not repeated.”
The St James police also reported that a Chinese business operator was stabbed multiple times during one of the recent robberies, which occurred over a week ago, and noted that they are reviewing surveillance footage from other incidents to determine if the man shot yesterday was linked in any way.
Held the knife to teller’s neck
Reports by the police are that about 8:45 a.m., the unidentified male, who was armed with a knife, forced his way inside the bank minutes after the doors were open for daily business and jumped across the counter in clear view of several customers.
He reportedly grabbed a female teller and held the knife to her neck while demanding money.
Security personnel in the bank acted swiftly and pointed their firearm at the robber, asking him to release the bank employee and surrender. They were later joined by other security officers, who responded to the security alarm that had been triggered.
A stand-off developed between the armed guards and the robber, who maintained his demand for cash while still holding the teller hostage.
Eventually, he was shot after he allegedly released the teller and launched an attack on the security guards. He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he is reported to have died while being treated.
Following the incident, the bank closed its doors for business.
An employee at the bank, who identified herself as a Christian, told The Gleaner that she witnessed the ordeal and prayed the entire time, hoping that the robber would not harm her co-worker.
“I cannot believe what really took place up to now. It was like one of those movies, and even worse when we saw the man jump over the counter and held the knife to her neck,” the bank staffer stated.
“All this time, I was calling on the Lord to take hold of the entire bank and not to let anyone get hurt. But sadly, he was shot by one of the security [guards], and I heard that he is dead.”