Syracuse, NY -- Police chased a bank robbery suspect this morning at the Carousel Center and used a Taser on the man as he ran down an up escalator at the mall, Syracuse police said. The man, whose name was not immediately available, was taken into custody less than two hours after the 9:15 a.m. robbery at the Key...
View full sizeCaptain of Detectives Richard Walsh enters the Key Bank branch at the corner of S. Warren and E. Washington Streets Tuesday morning as the Syracuse Police Department responded to a robbery. Syracuse, NY -- Police chased a bank robbery suspect this morning at the Carousel Center and used a Taser on the man as he ran down an up escalator at the mall, Syracuse police said.
The man, whose name was not immediately available, was taken into custody less than two hours after the 9:15 a.m. robbery at the Key Bank branch at 201 S. Warren St.
The suspect walked into the bank and stood in line with customers before handing a note to the teller, Sgt. Tom Connellan said. The note threatened the use of a weapon, although no weapon was displayed, Connellan said.
The teller handed the man an undisclosed amount of money and the man ran out the South Warren Street door of the bank.
Police are not saying what weapon the note made reference to, but a police radio broadcast said the note said the man had a bomb.
The suspect in this morning's robbery at the South Warren Street branch of Key Bank.Police investigators focused on the Carousel Center after talking with a taxi driver who reported taking a man resembling the suspect to the Regional Transportation Center and then dropping him off at the mall, Connellan said.
The driver, who recognized the suspect after being shown a picture taken from a bank camera, told police the man ran into the transportation center and purchased a ticket, Connellan said.
The man bought clothing at the mall, Connellan said, and had changed his outfit. Investigators sent officers to the mall and an investigator recognized the suspect. The police started following the man and he took off running, Connellan said.
As he was running down the wrong way on the escalator, he was hit with a Taser and taken into custody, Connellan said.
A Syracuse officer hurt his ankle in the arrest of the suspect and both the suspect and the officer were taken to a local hospital. The suspect is having the Taser probes removed, Connellan said.
Police said they were looking for a black man in a white t-shirt and a black, zip-up, hooded sweatshirt. The man had a goatee and was wearing glasses.
Police are not sure where the suspect was planning to take a bus from the transportation center. Police believe the man may have been released from a federal prison after they found a federal prison ID on him, Connellan said.
» Earlier, at the crime scene