Apprehension of Key Bank robbery suspect

Driving to work this morning I saw something quite unusual taking place on Bridgeport Way in University Place. Up ahead on the left were three police cars with an SUV pulled over between the first two police cars.

One officer was standing in the street with his gun drawn and aimed at a man who was down on his knees on the pavement in front of the SUV.

A second police officer was cuffing the nicely dressed gentleman who was wearing a broad-brimmed hat.

A third police officer was crouched down behind the open door of his patrol car using it as a shield.

Whatever was going on had to be something quite serious. But what could it be at 10 o'clock in the morning on the main arterial through the heart of University Place? What could that man in the broad-brimmed hat have possibly done? Thankfully, a scene such as that is a rarity in University Place. It is so contrary to the usual hustle and bustle of traffic on the thoroughfare that I could not get it out of my mind after I arrived at work.

I attempted to contact Stacey Mulick, crime reporter, for The News Tribune to ask her if she could get some answers about what exactly was going on there. Stacey is always great about tracking things down. Stacey was not available, so I contacted another crime reporter. He listened politely as I recounted the details of what I had witnessed. Then the reporter informed me that the arrest that was taking place was of a suspect in an armed bank robbery at Key Bank. The alleged bank robber is an 81-year-old man.

I cannot help but wonder (if he is indeed the person who robbed the bank) what led him to make that decision? Why now? Did he brandish a weapon? Would he have harmed the people in the bank? What drove him to do that? Did he have a plan? Had he really thought it through? Was it an impulse? Was it an act of desperation? How will he fare in jail and prison? Is there anyone who cares about him, anyone who could have helped him, reached out to him before he did something so drastic?