A suspect who allegedly tried to rob a Bank of Hope branch in Koreatown barricaded himself inside a car parked next to the building for about three hours Thursday until police injected tear gas in the vehicle and took him into custody.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded around 2 p.m. Thursday to the bank in the 2700 block of West Olympic Boulevard. Police said a 25-year-old man entered the branch, approached a teller, demanded money, and claimed he had a gun and explosive device, prompting a bank employee to press a panic alarm.
Officers confronted the suspect inside the bank, and he brandished a knife at them, police said.
Officers backed away to redeploy, and the suspect left the bank and got into a vehicle parked alongside the building, setting off a standoff. Crisis negotiators and mental health evaluators were present at the scene to assist in resolving the standoff, police said.
Shortly before 5 p.m., police set off tear gas or some other type of chemical in the suspect’s vehicle. A short time later, the suspect emerged from the car with his hands in the air. He was taken into custody and checked by paramedics at the scene. The suspect’s name was not released.
There were no reports of any other injuries.