CENTRALIA, Wash. – A man believed to have escaped a police dragnet after he broke into a TwinStar CU branch and threatened a teller Monday, showed up later in the day at a local hospital, seeking treatment for two gunshot wounds.
The man, who showed up at St. Peter’s Hospital bleeding from two bullet wounds, one to his elbow, matches the description of the armed man at the credit union, according to police.
The suspect broke into the credit union around 7 a.m. while an employee was opening up, then forced his way in. He allegedly held a gun to the woman’s head and a knife to her throat. Another employee waiting to begin work saw the confrontation and called 911.
When police arrived an officer fired two shots at the intruder who he saw holding the employee hostage. A SWAT team surrounded the credit union and spent hours trying to reach the man they thought was inside. They called on a phone, used loudspeakers, and even broadcast a message over a local radio station that was playing inside the bank, but there was no response.
At about 11:15 a.m. the SWAT team fired several stun grenades into the credit union and, after still getting no response, went inside and found the building empty.
Police believe the man slipped out a broken window immediately after the first officer on the scene shot at him, before the building was surrounded.
Investigators are working to determine whether Monday's incident is connected with a takeover robbery that occurred at the same branch three weeks ago, and a robbery at the TwinStar branch in Ocean Shores last week.
