Bank employees shut themselves in a safe during armed robbery in University Place
A 41-year-old man was arrested after bank employees shut themselves in a safe during an armed robbery at University Place on Thursday.
The suspect reportedly robbed a Washington Federal branch in the 4200 block of Bridgeport Way North. Two employees shut themselves in a safe during the robbery, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department reported.
Sheriff’s Department deputies were responding to the bank’s alarm going off at 10:05 a.m. when they saw someone driving away in a silver Cadillac, according to spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss.
Moss said they called the bank, but no one picked up, which is unusual. The deputies immediately pursued the Cadillac which drove toward Emerson and 40th street. When the suspect approached Orchard Street, he rear-ended another car and pushed it off the roadway. A woman in the car was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
The suspect allegedly ditched his car and ran off into the woods. Deputies caught and arrested the man. Moss said that the man had a gun in his car.
The man was booked into Pierce County Jail for investigation of first-degree robbery, felony eluding and hit-and-run.
Moss said that the man allegedly stole money from the bank but could not disclose how much.
This story was originally published October 12, 2023 at 11:41 AM.
