A gunman who killed himself after holding several people hostage Monday likely did not intend for the situation to turn into a standoff, police said.
The man had already robbed the Chase bank at 9510 E. Golf Links Road and was walking out with the loot when he saw an armed man walking toward the entrance.
Police speculate the robber thought the customer – an investigator with the Pima County Attorney’s Office — was a police officer.
The robber dropped his bag of money and ran back inside the bank, said Sgt. Mark Robinson, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.
The investigator backed off and called 911 at 12:25 p.m.
Soon after Tucson police got a call from Chase security that there was a hostage situation.
Police talked to the gunman by cell phone. He made several demands; including asking police to deliver the bag of money he dropped outside the bank to another location. Police refused, but later convinced the robber to release a hostage she could pick up the bag and deliver the stolen money to officers outside.
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The woman was one of three hostages released during the two-hour ordeal. None of the hostages was injured.
SWAT officers along with the bomb unit, at least one police dog, helicopters and officers from other patrol areas converged on the intersection.
Police say the robber committed suicide about 2 p.m. Some hostages were still inside the building.
Beverly Boatwright works at a Walgreen’s nearby and was shaken after police quickly ushered her and a co-worker across the parking lot to safety.
She was working when officers came into the store and told everyone to get out of the store, Boatwright said. As employees were working to gather everyone together she said the officers returned and said, “Get out now!”
Because she could not get to her vehicle, officers escorted Boatwright and another woman across the parking lot. They ran behind the women, forming a human shield.
“They told us to run, to get behind the dumpster,” Boatwright said. “I’ve been through a lot of but this is scary.”
Surrounding businesses were evacuated and a Sun Tran bus was brought to provide air-conditioned shelter for those who had no way of leaving during the incident, Robinson said.
No information on the robber was released Monday afternoon.
It is not clear how many hostages there were though police said it was between 8 and 10 people.
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