Bank-robbery suspect arrested after release from hospital

A man accused of a string of North Seattle robberies this week — his alleged crime spree ending after he was shot by Seattle police Wednesday — has been released from the hospital and moved to the King County Jail.

The 36-year-old man, who is not being named because he has not been charged, was booked into the downtown Seattle jail for investigation of robbery at 5:17 p.m. Thursday.

Seattle police said the man has a lengthy criminal history and was wanted by the state Department of Corrections for violating the terms of his probation when he allegedly caused a chaotic scene in the Crown Hill neighborhood Wednesday evening.

According to police, the man robbed a Bank of America branch in the 1100 block of North 205th Street in Shoreline around 4 p.m. Bank employees said the suspect fled in a silver Dodge Ram pickup, which Seattle police saw nearby about 90 minutes later.

Police said the truck had been reported stolen.

Gunfire ensued near the intersection of Greenwood Avenue North, Holman Road North and North 105th Street after the alleged robber slammed the pickup into an officer's patrol car while trying to flee.

The pickup also struck two other vehicles, slightly injuring a man and two children, who were treated at Harborview Medical Center, police said. That man and his children have been released from the hospital.

An officer suffered minor injuries when the suspect rammed his patrol car with the truck, police said.

The detective who shot the suspect is a 10-year veteran Seattle police officer, police said. His identity has not been disclosed. Police said the detective had been involved in one other shooting incident, which occurred in Seattle May 14, 2004.

Police have linked the suspect in the Wednesday bank robbery to a North Seattle espresso-stand robbery on Sunday; a robbery at a Chase bank branch in the 5500 block of 22nd Avenue Northwest in Ballard on Tuesday; and an attempt to rob a Bank of America branch in the 400 block of North 85th Street on Monday.

Information from The Seattle Times archives is contained in this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com