Following a bomb threat that triggered the evacuation of a Fullerton bank on Tuesday night, the situation escalated dramatically as a suspect met his demise. Fullerton police swiftly responded to reports of a bank robbery at a Wells Fargo branch situated on the 100 block of West Bastanchury Road at approximately 5:09 p. m.
The male suspect purportedly declared possession of an explosive device and menacingly threatened to set it off, as reported by law enforcement officials. In response, all employees and customers were promptly evacuated from the premises while officers, bomb squad operatives, and SWAT team members converged upon the shopping plaza.
When the male suspect eventually exited the front entrance while holding something in his hands, he was fatally shot by officers. A witness who saw the encounter play out recalls feeling scared for her safety.”Police had their guns drawn and the door to the bank opened, and the suspect came out,” recalled witness Jessica Serne. “They said, ‘Drop!’ but he didn’t listen, so they shot him. One shot, and that was it.”
“Officers swiftly arrived within a mere two minutes and promptly commenced their efforts to evacuate terrified employees,” elaborated Sgt. Ryan O’Neil with the Fullerton police department, stressing the urgency of the situation.
“Witnesses who were present inside the bank recounted a chilling scene in which the suspect brandished what seemed to resemble an explosive device. Tragically, as the suspect exited the premises, a harrowing officer-involved shooting incident unfolded, adding further chaos and danger to an already tense situation.”
The individual, who was observed prone on the ground near the front entrance, displayed no signs of responsiveness as bomb squad experts from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department deployed a robot and a drone to scrutinize various objects discovered in his vicinity. Subsequently, a remote-controlled robot was witnessed retrieving a segment of the device and returning it to law enforcement personnel for detailed examination.
