Bank robbery in downtown Miami briefly turns into a hostage situation, police say
Miami police officers responding to reports of a bank robbery briefly had a hostage situation on their hands Friday afternoon, the department said.
Officers initially arrived at the Bank of America branch at 150 W. Flagler St. in downtown Miami around 12:30 p.m. after receiving reports that someone in the bank was being assaulted, said Miami police spokesman Officer Michael Vega.
But when they got there, witnesses said it was a robbery. An officer ran inside the building and saw a man with his arm around a woman’s neck, Vega said.
“Officers began a dialog with the suspect and convinced him to let go of the female and he did,” Vega said.
Officers arrested him “without further incident,” Vega said.
It’s not clear if the man was armed. Miami police referred all other questions to the FBI. An FBI spokesman was not immediately available to answer questions about the case, including the identity of the suspect.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
