Updates: KeyBank robbery in The Junction

ORIGINAL 1:33 PM REPORT: Seattle Police spokesperson Detective Jeff Kappel confirms there’s been a bank robbery (he says it’s in the 4700 block of California SW – we’re on our way to verify which bank). We found out when we called to check with him about a sizable police presence at several Junction spots, after getting passed by several cars with lights and sirens. Heading back toward the bank now to see what else we can find out. Description of the robber, according to Det. Kappel: Black man, 30s-40s, about 6-1, blue jacket, green T-shirt, black handgun. More as we get it. 1:46 PM UPDATE: Per the scanner, there’s a vehicle associated with this robbery – early ’90s police-style Chevrolet Caprice, all white, with the chrome “spotlight” police-style light attached. Two black male suspects believed to be in the vehicle. Meantime, we have just verified at the scene, it’s the KeyBank at California/Alaska. 2:29 PM UPDATE: Changed the photo at the top of the story, now that our non-cameraphone photos are back in house. No other new info – police are still looking for the suspect. This is West Seattle’s third bank robbery in less than a month, after the Westwood Village Alaska USA robbery on July 10 and the Junction US Bank robbery on July 15.

17 Replies to "Updates: KeyBank robbery in The Junction"

  • kevinjunction August 5, 2009 (1:55 pm)

    Police just picked up some “evidence” in front of my house. suspect drove down deadend street and back out, dropping something out of the car apparently. Officer that approched me said that they had description but hadn’t caught him yet.

  • WSB August 5, 2009 (1:57 pm)

    thanks. I have posted the description but apparently it briefly fell off the page, I filed the old version over it, it’s back now. When we first arrived in The Junction shortly afterward a guy was being cuffed on Alaska by 45th but police tell us at the scene he was NOT involved – TR

  • Kate K August 5, 2009 (1:58 pm)

    Lots of cops flew by my vantage point at Uptown Espresso.

    I just now saw two cops walking into the US Bank parking lot, so maybe that’s the bank that was hit.

  • WSB August 5, 2009 (2:06 pm)

    No, as noted above in the latest add, it’s KeyBank. Which is closed for investigative purposes at the moment, btw.

  • JBL August 5, 2009 (2:07 pm)

    The Key Bank AGAIN! Jeeez!

  • diane August 5, 2009 (2:11 pm)

    re “suspect drove down deadend street and back out”
    ~
    if this was the robbers, hilarious; or pathetic
    ~
    is it becoming so easy to rob a bank that they don’t even scope out an escape route?

  • amismae August 5, 2009 (2:22 pm)

    Please keep us posted. The police advised me not to return to my house on 45th. They were bringing in a K9. I left the neighborhood, but would like to know when it’s ok to return. Thx everyone.

  • Kristina August 5, 2009 (2:36 pm)

    (Sigh.) I was in the Junction with my six year old and saw police cars etc. I’m saddened at this type of activity in our neighborhood.

  • bystander August 5, 2009 (2:51 pm)

    RE: K9 – they cancelled the k9 and the roads are mostly clear now.

  • coffee August 5, 2009 (3:15 pm)

    did anyone see the king 5 report on what happens when a bank is robbed and they “push the panic button”, how it takes so long for the PD to be actually notified? It was rather interesting. It made me think that most robbers would be savy to this and know that they have the lead in the precious few minutes post robbery.

  • thisisridiculous August 5, 2009 (3:34 pm)

    The Seattle Police are pathetic. Alaska Junction in broad daylight. A bank with an alarm system and panic buttons. Yet banks get robbed on a regular basis here, and police never seem to catch the thief. They had the alarm and the description of the car, he even drove down a dead end street, but they have nothing.

    If a bank can be robbed that easily in a crowded business district, its no surprise that a home in a quiet neighborhood is such an easy target.

    Pathetic police force = pathetic crime rate.

  • coffee August 5, 2009 (3:42 pm)

    I beg to differ on the PD and response. View the report from King 5 about what happens when the panic button is pressed. It does not go direct to the PD in Seattle, in most cases it goes to an answering center in another state, (in many cases in Ohio where there is a large center) and then the call center has to call the local PD on a non emergency line, which gets answered secondary to 9-1-1 calls. I also know this because I spent 10 years doing 9-1-1 rules and proceedures in my previous life. You cannot blame the police department. Alarm systems and panic buttons are not answered in Seattle. My own business alarm system is answered in Nevada….

  • JBL August 5, 2009 (4:07 pm)

    Just another reason why the banks should be allowed to dial 911 direct.

  • star55 August 5, 2009 (4:26 pm)

    thisisridiculous, you are clueless as to what really happens during a bank robbery and how the police are notified. Maybe the bank should check out their security procedures. I sure hope you never need the police, pathetic.

  • thisisridiculous August 5, 2009 (4:44 pm)

    You’re right. I stand corrected. 3 bank robberies in one month in broad daylight in the busiest portion of our section of town is acceptable. How can we ever expect the police to do anything more.

    I have needed the police, and they have not been there. Actually, they are available, but only long after the crime has occurred, and sometimes only on the phone. Reading the crime reports relating to home burglaries on the WSB, I am pretty sure I’m not alone. I’ve lived in much bigger towns and much smaller towns, in urban areas, suburbs and country, and nowhere has crime been this rampant.

    It’s not just West Seattle. How many drug deals can you spot in an evening stroll through Belltown? How many fights do you regularly see downtown on third avenue?

    Now we have another guy who seemingly got away with it, no doubt encouraging him to do it again, or encouraging others to give it a shot.

    Rather than commend the police for trying their hardest and failing miserably, or placing the blame on the banks that serve our neighborhoods, maybe we should hold the police accountable for the crime statistics. If the police notification system is a problem, perhaps a solution to fix it is in order. If three banks get hit within a month in the Junction, maybe we should have a greater police presence in that area. Maybe there should be an alternate method of contacting police. Something other than just a sad attempt at chasing a thief down after the fact.

    Crime happens for a lot of crazy reasons we can’t control, but one we can control is the perception, or maybe even the reality, that they can get away with it. I think its safe to say that for home burglaries, car prowls, and now apparently bank robberies, the perception is a criminal can get away with it.

  • Jersey Jill August 6, 2009 (7:50 pm)

    People People People, the SPD is under staffed and under paid. They have open job postings but lets face it with todays out dated laws, stronger fire arms on the street than in the patrol cars and a mayor who would rather spend billions on a ridiculous tunnel than our safety. The switch board has to prioritize the calls. The truth is until we get White Center sanctioned from the Seattle City limits our calls take longer to respond to because they are traveling long distances to get to us from the hood. Start attending community meetings and city council meetings and tell those in charge we want more police presence and to add money to our police and fire budget. Whew!! AMEN to our police and Fire.

  • Jersey Jill August 6, 2009 (7:57 pm)

    I also wanted to mention while traveling Central America I was quite impressed with the security they have at all of their banks. In front of the bank is a guard standing there with an AK-47 who opens the door for you while checking you out at the same time, then you walk thru a glass enclosure where you see on the inside another guard with an automatic weapon who opens the door for you inside. As you stand in line and glance up you will see another guard in a bullet proof cage looking down over the whole bank with you guessed it an AK-47!!! Now I wonder how many people would think twice before robbing a bank when they approached that situation. Their money isn’t Federally secured so that is the main reason for this hard core security but hey the way Congress is handing out money these days I don’t believe ours really is either!!

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