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A bank robbery suspect was killed yesterday in a shootout with deputies in Lancaster yesterday. The whole thing played out on live TV.
The man was suspected of robbing a Bank of America branch at gunpoint in Saugus around 9:15 am before leading deputies on a chase on the 14 Freeway that ended in a cul-de-sac in Lancaster, according to City News Service.
The man got out of his SUV, tossed some money into the street and got back in his SUV. The shooting started moments later and the whole thing was caught by news helicopters flying overhead.
Sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker told reporters that it appeared that the suspect pointed his gun at deputies first before they returned fire and shot him to death. He told KCAL, "The suspect made this decision. The deputies gave him every opportunity to surrender. They kept repeatedly telling him to show his hands and he wouldn't."
The man's name hasn't been released, but he is believed to be a man in his 40s.
We expect the fatal shooting caught on live TV to renew questions about the ethics of airing live police chases.
