Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and officers from the Colton Police Department opened fire on an alleged bank robber in San Bernardino on Thursday afternoon, killing the person.
The incident began at about 3:45 p.m. as a pursuit of a bank robbery suspect after SBCSD deputies responded to an alarm at a closed bank in Grand Terrace, then CPD officers responded to a bank robbery in their jurisdiction, SBCSD spokesperson Mara Rodriguez said in an email.
Public Information Officer Huerta of the SBCSD said the Grand Terrace bank is located in the 22300 block of Barton Road.
Police and deputies pursued the alleged robber’s vehicle to West Fifth Street and North D Street in San Bernardino, where the pursuit ended, Rodriguez said.
Aerial footage from Sky5 showed that a dark-colored compact car collided with a County of San Bernardino truck near that location.
The alleged robber “was armed and opened fire on law enforcement personnel,” Rodriguez said.
Witness Na Chan told KLTA the weapon the alleged robber was “pulling a rifle, so they end up shooting the guy.”
Chan’s account was corroborated by SBCSD spokesman Jeff Allison, who said “the suspect produced a rifle and fired rounds at our deputies and officers.”
Officers and deputies returned fire, and though it remains unclear who fired the shot or shots that struck the man and how many times he was struck, he was pronounced dead at the scene, Rodriguez said. No one else was hurt.
Multiple gunshots could be heard on video recorded by Chan.
The name and age of the person who was killed has not yet been released.
The investigation is ongoing, and no further information was available.
