SHELBY TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - The suspect in a Shelby Township bank robbery is dead after police said he was tracked to Illinois, leading to a multi-hour standoff.
At 10:36 a.m. on March 7, the Shelby Township Police Department said it was notified of a robbery that occurred at the Bank of America at 13750 23 Mile Road.
Officers spoke to employees after arriving on the scene. Witnesses told police “a black male entered the bank and approached a teller,” a statement on the STPD Facebook page said. “The suspect then passed a note demanding money, then fled the scene.”
Police were unable to find the suspect as they searched the area.
The investigation conducted by detectives included reviewing video from other locations in the area. Detectives found that once the suspect left the bank, “he got on a motorized scooter which he had parked near the bank,” the statement said. “The suspect then drove the scooter to a semi-truck he had parked in the area. The suspect then fled the area inside of the semi-truck.”
Detectives learned that the semi was from a trucking company in Illinois. The suspect was identified as a 33-year-old man from Georgia.
It was discovered that the suspect was in Effingham, Illinois. The Effingham Police Department was able to find the suspect and the semi at a truck stop in the area.
“Make no mistake about it – if you come to Shelby Township to commit a crime, our department will track you down no matter where you try to hide.” - Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide.
The suspect barricaded himself inside the truck with a gun when police attempted to arrest him. To prevent the suspect from leaving, the truck was disabled by police.
“The Effingham County Sheriff’s Department and the Illinois State Police SWAT Team and Crisis Negotiating Team were called to assist,” according to the statement.
Authorities said that after a standoff that lasted nearly 8 hours, the suspect took his own life after negotiations failed.