An attempted armed robbery at a Cedar Hill bank ended fatally Monday morning after a customer shot a knife-wielding man who was threatening employees and demanding cash, according to Cedar Hill Police.
Officers were dispatched around 9 a.m. to a Chase Bank located on the 200 block of North U.S. Highway 67 Service Road in response to a robbery in progress. When they arrived, they discovered a man in the parking lot suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
First responders rendered aid at the scene before the wounded man was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead. His identity has not yet been publicly released.
Investigators determined that the suspect had entered the bank armed with a knife and began demanding money from bank employees. A customer inside the bank drew a firearm and shot the man during the confrontation. The suspect then fled the building before collapsing in the parking lot where officers found him.
The customer who fired the weapon stayed on the scene and is fully cooperating with investigators. Authorities have not yet announced whether that individual will face any criminal charges.
Under Texas law adults who are legally permitted to carry a firearm are generally allowed to do so inside banks unless the establishment has posted signage prohibiting it. State law also allows individuals to use deadly force when they reasonably believe it is necessary to protect themselves or others from death or serious bodily injury.
Police confirmed that no officers discharged their weapons during the incident. No bank employees, other customers, or witnesses sustained significant injuries.
The Cedar Hill Police Department is leading the investigation alongside the Dallas field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation given the federal jurisdiction that applies to bank robbery cases.
