Mesa police fatally shoot bank robbery suspect in Tempe

PHOENIX — Mesa police fatally shot a bank robbery suspect Wednesday who was allegedly noncompliant and indicated to officers that he was armed, authorities said.

The incident occurred in a parking lot near Baseline Road and Mill Avenue as Mesa police attempted to arrest a 37-year-old suspect possibly involved in a bank robbery on Monday where $1,000 was stolen, a spokesperson with the Tempe Police Department said in a press conference.

The suspect was allegedly non-compliant and refused to exit a car, the spokesperson said.

Police asked the man if he was armed and the suspect allegedly indicated to officers that he was.

Mesa police barricaded the parking lot and pepper spray was deployed through the window of the car to get the man out, the spokesperson said.

Upon exiting from the vehicle, the man continued to be non-compliant and four officers shot and killed the suspect, the spokesperson said.

A gun was found near where the suspect was located but the spokesperson did not want to confirm the firearm belonged to the man.

The investigation is ongoing.

Tempe police will be the primary investigators of the officer-involved shooting, while Mesa police will handle the bank robbery investigation.

It was the seventh shooting of the year involving Mesa police and 42nd overall by law enforcement in the Valley, according to KTAR News 92.3 FM research.

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