Phoenix bank robber dead after shootout

Officers were involved in a shooting near the scene of a bank robbery in west Phoenix Saturday morning, according to officer James Holmes of the Phoenix Police Department.

The robbed bank is a branch of BBVA Compass located at 3400 W. Thomas Rd. in Phoenix, where police received a call of an “unknown trouble” around 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

When the first responding officer arrived at the scene, he noticed a peculiarly-parked white vehicle in the branch parking lot, according to Holmes. Moments later, a Hispanic male with a bandana covering his face was seen exiting the building with a bag in one hand and a gun in the other.

“The suspect threw the bag into the vehicle, which the officer had pulled behind, and then the suspect began shooting at our officer,” said Holmes.

A Phoenix detective from the robbery unit, who happened to be in the area working on a separate case, also responded to the call. Upon arriving at the scene, the shootout between the first responding Phoenix officer and the suspect, had just begun.

“Our detective drew his own service weapon and fired at the suspect,” Holmes told of the transpiring moments. “The suspect was struck and he went down.”

Following the gunfire, the suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Holmes told KTAR that the original call was placed by a fast-food customer who was in a drive-thru line nearby. Three employees occupied the bank at the time of the suspect’s entry. They were ordered to the ground at gunpoint by the suspect A customer who later entered the bank was ordered to do the same, before fleeing the scene when the suspect had turned away.

The amount of money stolen from the bank is not yet known and such amounts are not regularly released, according to police.

The suspect has not yet been identified, beyond Phoenix police’s conclusion that he is a Hispanic male aged 25-30.

The vehicle used in the robbery was a rental, Holmes said.

Neither responding officer was injured in the gunfire.