Bank Robbery Suspect in Critical Condition After Being Shot By Detective

A suspected bank robber is in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital after being shot by a Hillsborough County Sheriff's detective at about 8:30 p.m. Monday, April 25.

According to Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee, the unnamed suspect was shot at his home at 4719 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico, after he pulled a butcher knife on a detective while detectives were serving a search warrant at the home where the suspect lived with his parents. The home is located a block east of the Bloomingdale Volunteer Fire Department.

Gee said the suspect, who is about 30 years old, is believe to have robbed the Grow Financial Federal Credit Union Bloomingdale Branch at 604 E. Bloomingdale Ave., Brandon, at about 12:40 p.m. Monday.

An investigation led detectives to the suspect, said Gee.

Gee said detectives located the suspect at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa where he is believed to have spent some of the money from the robbery. The money was marked with dye from a dye-pack explosion.

"The suspect was cooperative and was going to show us where the rest of the money was," said Gee, indicating that the suspect had stashed some of the money on the 5-acre Bloomingdale Avenue property. He began to lead the detectives to the back yard but then changed his mind and said the remainder of the money was in the house.

The suspect led the detectives into the kitchen where he immediately grabbed a knife from a butcher block located about a foot inside the kitchen.

The detective following the suspect into the kitchen promptly pulled his firearm and fired several shots.  Gee did not know how many bullets struck the suspect.

Gee declined to name the detective involved in the shooting.

The suspect was on felony probation for previous undisclosed crimes.

Gee said there are conflicting reports about whether the suspect was acting alone when he robbed the bank. He said, during the bank robbery, the suspect acted aggressively with the clerk and implied he had a weapon.

The State Attorney's Office will conduct an independent investigation since there was an officer-involved shooting.

The suspect's parents were in the front yard at the time of the shooting.

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