A man suspected of robbing a downtown Hudson bank at gunpoint Wednesday morning apparently shot himself after being cornered in Lakeview Hospital parking lot in Stillwater, Minn.
The suspect, who was not identified, died from his injury. He is believed also to have robbed a Hudson bank at gunpoint last Friday. Police declined to disclose the amounts stolen or elaborate about his weapon.
At 10:08 a.m., Hudson Police received a report of an armed robbery in progress at Associated Bank. Witnesses said the robber, described as a heavyset white male between the ages of 45 and 55, fled in a white Mustang. St. Croix County Sheriff's Department notified the Washington County Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies two minutes later.
An Oak Park Heights patrol officer saw a matching vehicle and began pursuit. The suspect fled, and a Stillwater Police patrol officer began following the suspect until he turned into back entrance at Lakeview Hospital around 10:15 a.m.
As the patrol officer cornered his vehicle in a parking space near the hospital's east entrance, the officer heard a single gunshot. Inside the suspect's vehicle, they found him from an apparent self-inflicted handgun wound.
ADVERTISEMENT
Police said they did not fire on the vehicle.
Hudson Police Detective Shawn Pettee said the suspect was likely the same man who robbed at gunpoint the Citizen's Bank in Hudson Oct. 26.
"Right now, we are investigating both of those crimes and it appears there is a high probability that these two robberies are connected," Pettee said. In both cases, the suspect appeared to be wearing similar clothing and ordered bank tellers to place cash in a bag; however, a dark-colored sedan was used in the first robbery.
A suspect's face was visible in surveillance videos from both robberies, which occurred at banks near exits onto Interstate 94, Pettee said.
