Police: Bank Robber Flees With Cash, Commits Suicide During High-Speed Chase
(CBS) – A criminal suspect apparently killed himself after he robbed a Matteson bank and led police on a high-speed vehicle chase Friday morning in the south suburb.
Police say the bank robbery began to unravel around 11 a.m. at BMO Harris Bank, 4940 W. 211th St., when a local officer entered the branch to make a village deposit.
The officer saw a male at the counter talking with a teller. The man, who was holding a "wad of cash" in his hand, walked past the officer and made eye contact, according to a police news release.
The teller than collapsed to the ground, began hyperventilating and told the officer a robbery had just occurred.
The officer gave chase and notified his department about the crime. Police quickly began pursuing a suspect vehicle that drove erratically from the crime scene before leading officers on a chase that included interstates in the region. The vehicle was driving the wrong way on Interstate 57 before exiting onto Vollmer.
A second officer witnessed the driver point a handgun to the right side of his own head and heard a gunshot. The suspect's car veered off the roadway and into a field, flipped over and struck a utility pole.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the crash site, police said. U.S. currency was recovered from the vehicle.
Police would not release the suspect's name. They are working with the FBI to determine if he was connected to any other bank robberies, CBS 2's Brad Edwards reports.
