As of 2:00 PM, the main branch of the First Commercial Bank in Rogers Park is secure - but the bank robber is still on the loose. The little weasel slipped through the fingers of the FBI, the Chicago Police and Joe Moore.
The hostage's are safe and this part of the crime ended peacefully. Word is the robber entered through the back door of the bank. Who in the world leaves the back door of a bank un-locked? Bank security measures were lacking according to Robert Grant with the FBI.
Police helicopter, K-9 dogs, a robot, FBI and Chicago SWAT were all used. The FBI is on the case, the suspect is armed and dangerous. The community needs to take extreme caution, according to the FBI spokesperson Robert Grant. A manhunt is underway.
UPDATED BLOGNOTES: This really gets me wondering. How'd this guy escape? There was a freaking dragnet around the whole bank. My reports say there were two separate hostage releases. Did this guy slide out during one of these releases? This guy just all of a sudden disappeared into thin air doesn't sit well.
Full-of-Shit: Joe Moore told reporters that police told him they do not believe the gunman is holding anyone hostage.
24 comments:
Perhaps the bank robber couldn't stand being in continued close proximity to Lying Joe Moore!
The community always needs to take extreme caution near Morse Ave's armed and dangerous.
If the F.B.I. did a search on Morse for contraband, imagine what they would find.
Maybe they can start looking at Joe Moore too, while they are at it.
In fact, maybe someone should fill them in on the campaign contribution scandal, and what a large, high profile bust that would be.
You know, since they are in town.
;)
> Who in the world leaves the back door of a bank un-locked?
Someone who's expecting a guest but can't be at the door to greet them? One would think the doors would automatically lock....
Does anyone know what the robber looks like? Just so we can be aware and know what to look for. My husband rides his bike home on Clark and it seems helpful to know.
The Sun Times reports the robber knocked on the back door and was allowed to enter by an employee
How embarrassing that should be for all of those trained, suited-up, gun- slinging personnel, with SWAT to boot, to have a thug make an ass out of them. If they catch him, they should hire him. Maybe he could teach them a thing or two about thugism and how to think like thugs, instead of using textbook knowledge. Obviously the latter doesn't always work.
THINK JOE BETTER STICK WITH HIS STINKING GOOSE LIVER-
lakewoodlady, as a resident of Roger's Park, I find your hostile and childish presentation a bore. If you have a point you should make it. If you have nothing to contribute and can't present your thoughts and ideas in a constructive dialogue you should go elsewhere. You sound too emotionally invested to make any sort of rational argument.
So what are you saying Craig? Do you oppose more cops on Morse? Aren't you the one who keeps spouting off about how unsafe the street is?
Why shouldn't the beat facilitator support more police on Morse, and ask people to come support them?
Stop talking out of both sides of your mouth.
This is the text of a push email from the alderman's office that just landed in my inbox:
Update on the First Commercial Bank Robbery
Dear Neighbor,
I am writing to update you on an attempted bank robbery that occurred in our neighborhood today. At approximately 9:45 a.m. today (Thursday), a gunman entered through the back door of First Commercial Bank, located at 6945 N. Clark (northeast corner of Clark and Morse), and announced a robbery. Bank customers and a number of bank employees fled the building. Other employees hid in different rooms in the building.
Contrary to early news media reports, the gunman did not take hostages, and it now appears he fled the building shortly after he announced the robbery. It is not yet known whether he took any money, nor is it known if he had any accomplices. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The Chicago Police Department responded immediately to the scene. The Police Department immediately closed Clark Street and secured the building. Together with agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Police Department conducted a thorough search of the building and concluded that the assailant was no longer at the scene.
The FBI is conducting an investigation and is currently interviewing witnesses. I will share with you a physical description of the robber, and any other pertinent information, as soon as it becomes available.
First Commercial Bank has long been an important institution in our community, and has helped support many 49th Ward families, businesses and organizations. Many of its employees are neighborhood residents. I know you share my relief that no one was hurt, and wish everyone at First Commercial all the best during this very trying time.
Sincerely,
Joe Moore
Readers of this blog know I am not a fan of this alderman's past performance. But this strikes me as an appropriate and timely communication to the neighborhood.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
troubled, did you have something constructive you wanted to say or just personal attacks?
michael c., what are you talking about? I followed your link and it sent me back to March 2005 to a comment you made on this blog regarding off duty police security. If you're trying to make a point, I don't get it. Please elucidate.
- PEACE -
Joe Moore said...> "I will share with you a physical description of the robber, and any other pertinent information, as soon as it becomes available."
Don't bother Joe. The last time you tried to help, you sent this community on a wild goose chase.
The armed assailant knocked on the back door and was let into the bank.
From ABC 7:
Veteran security guard Jim Bond got a glimpse of the suspect.
"The guy walked in the bank with a gun, he meant business," said Bond.
Bond said an auditor working in the bank heard someone knocking on the back door, so he opened it, letting the suspect into the building.
"I heard him coming into the door and he had a gun in his hand. That's when I went back to some of the employees, (and told them) to move, move, get out of here," said Bond.
The suspect headed for the bank president's office while the employees took off.
Linda Scully was about to enter the bank when she saw the workers running out.
The girls were crying and said a gentleman came in the back of the bank with a painter's mask on and went to the president's office. They were hysterical and I let them use my cell phone to call their loved ones," said Scully.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5618935
Above is the video link. Gunman pointed a gun, after being admitted into the building, at the bank president. The robber then headed to the presidents office, it is unclear whether the president was expected to follow. One would assume not, as all 35 employees got out safely. There were never any hostages and after a sweep of the building, the employees were allowed to reenter the bank at three. The Math and Science school was used as a safe haven for the bank employees.
I hope the FBI is doing a thorough investigation of the bank personnel.
Since when does an auditor have the authority to open the back door to someone knocking? Did this employee verify the id of the knocker? Obviously not. Or, if h/she does have this authority, is it not standard procedure to demand identification and isn't a log kept of all deliveries of cash?
It all sounds very strange.
Michael C. and Geoge W. Bush are one in the same. Go figure.
North Coast,
I would agree with you!!! Unless it was common practice to let employees or armored truck employees in this way, which at a bank is just plain stupid, this never should have happened. There should at the very minimum be a peep hole to allow bank employees to see whose outside.
I worked in retail for 20 plus years and we didn't do this. If a truck arrived for delivery, they rang a bell. We knew when we were expecting a truck but we still checked the person before opening the door,
could we have a blog dedicated to postings not allowed by blog adminstrator?
that would be interesting,
because then we could verify or unverify the validity of said removed posts.
ofcourse this new blog would have to be policed as well,
and so on.
i thought this was most likely a botched robbery,
no hostages and ?no perp.
but the powers in charge
have to use a robot and swat
and etc...
too bad it didnt go down like the movie fugitive of something....
i hope they atleast have this guy on camera
im sure we will see some sort of image of this guy
Here's a good botched bank robbery story for you. Years ago I worked at a neighborhood bank in Jefferson Park - I wasn't there the day this happened but heard about it later. A woman walked in (can't remember now if she had a weapon or made some gesture as if she had one), but with no words uttered she slipped a note through the teller window to give her money. The teller complied, as we were trained to follow instructions and not take any chances. After the woman left and the police were called, they turned the note over to find that it was written on the back on an envelope that had her name and address on it.
Nothing about this story from beginning to end, sounds right.....
wantstoknow said...
Here's a good botched bank robbery story for you. Years ago I worked at a neighborhood bank in Jefferson Park - I wasn't there the day this happened but heard about it later. A woman walked in (can't remember now if she had a weapon or made some gesture as if she had one), but with no words uttered she slipped a note through the teller window to give her money. The teller complied, as we were trained to follow instructions and not take any chances. After the woman left and the police were called, they turned the note over to find that it was written on the back on an envelope that had her name and address on it.
Hilarious!!! Sounds like the New's of the Weird post regarding, if I remember correctly...it was a few years ago a robber who fled wearing those shoes that light up. The cops had no problem tracking and nabbing the felon.
According to the ABC 7 report no money was taken, no shots were fired, no one was hurt, and the goof ball got away. Who knows if the gun was fake. Hopefully, he doesn't try it, again.
Things sure are great in Rogers Park. I can't wait for the next published crime statistics. Not even a stubbed toe. "Nothing to see here. Move along folks."
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