- An armed suspect was dragged out of an Arlington bank in handcuffs
- The unidentified suspect entered the Wells Fargo, implied he had a weapon and barricaded himself inside the bank with five victims
- No one was injured in the incident police said Tuesday evening
A bank robbery suspect was hauled out in cuffs by an armed SWAT team after taking at least five people in a botched raid on a Wells Fargo in Arlington, Virginia.
Video showed the armed officers dragging the suspect – an unidentified man in his 20s – around an hour after he stormed the branch at 3pm.
Four adults and a child had already been safely extracted from the building.
The SWAT team and a negotiator had rushed to the scene after the suspect claimed he was armed and demanded money before barricading himself inside with the victims.
Authorities said they received a call on Tuesday about an armed robbery at the bank at around 3.09pm.
Police soon swarmed the bank, and just after 4pm, armed police officers were seen approaching the building.
When officers arrived, they realized the suspect was still inside, holding an undetermined number of patrons and bank employees hostage.
The suspect ‘implied he had a weapon’ and demanded money.
Shortly after 4pm, a group of heavily armed officers were seen approaching the bank and commanding those inside to come out with their hands up.
No injuries were reported.
Video from inside the bank shared with WUSA shows at least one person laying on the ground inside the Wells Fargo with their hands above their head.
It’s unclear if the person pictured is one of the hostages or the suspect.
The suspect has not yet been named, and an investigation is ongoing.
One man who spoke with The Washington Post said his wife was inside the bank with their young daughter and he received several calls regarding the incident.
‘It’s very scary,’ he told the outlet. ‘I’m happy to see my family.’
Max Pond, an Arlington resident who works nearby witnessed the incident and shared what he saw with WTOP.
‘The SWAT team rolled in, took positions all around the bank and pretty quickly after that, they were having some kind of conversation with (the suspect),; Pond told WTOP.
‘You see all the squad cars pull in and start hopping out … I’m saying 45 minutes in, they had the guy out front,’ the witness said.
Washington Boulevard in Arlington was shut down between Wilson Boulevard and 10th Street for hours as police investigated.
In a statement to NBC Washington, a Wells Fargo representative said they are ‘grateful’ the situation was resolved quickly and safely.
‘We are incredibly relieved and grateful that the situation has been resolved with no physical injuries to any of our employees or customers,’ a Wells Fargo representative said in a statement.
Bank representatives said they continue to cooperate with the investigation.
