by Shern-Min Chow / 11 News
khou.com
Posted on July 12, 2010 at 5:47 PM

Updated Monday, Jul 12 at 6:20 PM

PASADENA, Texas—A suspected bank robber was shot and killed Monday as he fled the scene of the crime, after leaving behind what appeared to be a bomb at a Chase Bank in Pasadena.

As it turns out, the device was a piece of pipe about 8 inches long with wires at the ends, but no explosives. Authorities believe the same suspect hit nearby bank in June.

Around 9:30 a.m., a man in his 50s, wearing a fake beard and coveralls, held up the Chase bank in the 5100 block of Fairmont Parkway, police said. He left a package he described as an explosive device.

An alarm was sounded and a motorcycle officer responded. When the officer pulled up, he saw a fireman and the suspect in the parking lot.

Fearing the suspect would attempt to escape into nearby businesses, the officer told the firefighter to get back, Pasadena Police Assistant Chief Bud Corbett said.

"The officer told [the suspect] for the last time to get down. It appeared to the officer the suspect tried two or three times to get the weapon out of his pocket and got hung up on his clothing," Corbett said.

The officer fired several shots, killing the suspect. He fell to the ground with a large amount of cash around his body.

Police said the officer is a 15-year veteran of the force and will be placed on routine administrative leave.

In June, a robber fitting the same description hit the Wells Fargo Bank in the 6100 block of Fairmont.

In that incident, which also happened early in the morning, police said the suspect claimed to have a bomb, showed it to the tellers but didn’t leave it behind.

 

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