MID AFTERNOON ATTEMPTED ROBBERY LEAVES WOULD BE ROBBER INJURED

March 11, 2010

Monica Bodden reporting.....

An attempted bank robbery at the Atlantic Bank Branch corner of Magazine and Cemetery Road in Belize City has left many employees and spectators from around the area in disbelief. The incident occurred around 2:30 this afternoon when one of the assailants approached a bank security guard that was outside the building and demanded his firearm. Love News spoke with Police Press Officer Fitzroy Yearwood.

Fitzroy Yearwood – Police Press Officer

“About 2:30pm a security officer was on the verandah for the main entrance to the bank when he was approached by a female asking what time the bank will close. At this time a male person, dark complexion, then attacked him, well approached him with a firearm and demanded he handed over his firearm. Instead of cooperating with them he hit away the firearm that was pointed at him and then a struggle ensued. During this struggle a second assailant joined the first assailant whereby they managed to overpower the security after they came down the stairs on to the pavement and they ended up getting away with the firearm.”

During this brazen episode one of the robbers trying to escape with the firearm was shot by another security guard who was stationed inside the bank. It was a bank robbery gone bad indeed as police officers where patrolling the area at the same time. Two of the assailants were apprehended by police while one made his escape.

Fitzroy Yearwood – Police Press Officer

“ Another security officer realized what was happening from inside the bank and he came out opened fire at them and when they came around this lane apparently a police mobile patrol was in the area and they assisted the security officers whereby they ended up apprehending the two assailants, two out of three because it was actually three of them, so they ended up apprehending two and they recovered two firearms, one of course being the Security officer firearm and the other from the actual assailant. I cannot ascertain as to what part of the body the one person was injured but I am sure that is probably what slowed them down.”

According to Yearwood police are currently investigating today’s incident to see if there might have been any connection with yesterday’s robbery that took place at Doony’s Store where a security guard was attacked and his gun was stolen. Yearwood also said that the police department is currently increasing patrols in different areas.

Fitzroy Yearwood – Police Press Officer

“ Like I told the media yesterday that we have vigilant patrols and we will beef up our patrols. We realized that the robbery yesterday was for a purpose, probably to gain another weapon to do a bigger crime. So we were focusing like I said heavily on business areas. We have our new business watch, we have a lot of patrols into effect and the criminals can take note if they want to but our job is to make sure that we try to be around as often as possible. “

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