most of you have probably never even heard of this place... but many of us are close to here...
pretty crazy what went down... apparently the fbi was tipped off to a possible bank robbery and were in the parking lot next door when it was going down or something along those lines... I guess it got pretty crazy because there have been several reports of gunfire in the bank's direct area.
pretty crazy what went down... apparently the fbi was tipped off to a possible bank robbery and were in the parking lot next door when it was going down or something along those lines... I guess it got pretty crazy because there have been several reports of gunfire in the bank's direct area.
RICHMOND – A shootout involving FBI agents has left one suspected bank robber dead and another in custody, McHenry County Undersheriff Andy Zinke said.
The shootout occured outside Associated Bank, 10910 N. Main St., Richmond, late Friday morning. Authorities were called to the site at about 11:30 a.m., Zinke said.
Anderson's Candy Shop owner Leif Anderson was in the drive-thru of McDonald's, just north of the intersection of Routes 12 and 173 and about 1,000 feet south of the bank, when he saw a number of civilian vehicles speed north.
"I then heard what sounded like pop, pop, bang sort of things, and didn't know what to make of it," Anderson said.
About 30 seconds later, marked police cars from Richmond and several other departments sped by, some of them starting to set up traffic control, and several ambulances sped by shortly after.
"They were flying faster than I ever saw cop cars chasing a speeder, or anything," Anderson said.
Employees at Richmond Canvas, across the street from the bank, said they saw two cars they didn't recognize sitting in their parking lot, then saw them speed out. At that point, they heard what they described as rapid gunfire, the witnesses said.
An employee of NAPA Auto Parts said he saw a car speed across the bank's parking lot and strike a telephone pole, at which point gunfire ceased.
Special Agent Frank Bochte confirmed that the FBI was involved in the shooting. He said early Friday afternoon that no agents were hurt and that one of the suspects was shot, but he could not elaborate further.
There is reportedly a heavy police and FBI presence stopping traffic on Route 12 near Associated Bank. Police have blocked off the intersection of Route 173 and Route 12. McHenry County Sheriff's police said they expect Route 12 north of Route 173 to remained closed for several hours.
Steve Chait, who owns nearby Steve's Auto Sales, said access to his shop and several around has been closed off since the incident late this morning.
"It's like a ghost town," Chait said. "I feel like I'm watching CSI."
Witnesses said earlier they saw what appeared to be a dead body in the bank parking lot.
Administrators from Nippersink School District 2 and Richmond-Burton Community High School District 157 verified that all schools were on soft lockdown at 11:45 this morning for about 25 minutes
Representatives of Associated Bank released a statement just before 2 p.m.
"Associated has ensured that our customers and colleagues at our Richmond branch are safe and secure. We are fully cooperating with local law enforcement to help resolve the situation," the statement said.
Check back with nwherald.com for updates.
