Shots were fired in a Rolando neighborhood Saturday as officers searched for two armed bank robbery suspects. A SWAT team was called in and residents were evacuated from their homes.
The armed suspects robbed California Coast Credit Union on La Mesa Blvd., according to Capt. Jim Collins. They allegedly took off in a black Monte Carlo with no license plates.
An officer spotted the suspects parked in a dead-end street nearby.
βHe saw the suspect walking away from the vehicle and called for assistance,β Capt. Collins said.
The officers gave chase. The suspects stopped the car and fled on foot into a neighborhood near Catherine Ave.
One of the suspects was spotted in a backyard near Stanley Ave. and 63rd St., where an officer challenged him. Capt. Collins said he appeared to reach into waist, so the officer opened fire.
It was not yet clear whether the suspect had been hit by the gunfire.
βThe suspect ran from the area,β Capt. Collins said. βOther units in the area spotted the second suspect.β
Both suspects were cornered in separate backyards, Capt. Collins said. One was on Acorn St., the other was on Seminole St.
Homes were evacuated in the area and a command post was setup on Stanley Ave.
βWe have had citizens call in that say they saw the suspect going through their yards and the suspects are armed,β Capt. Collins said.
The suspects had fired no shots by 4 p.m. and there were no reports of any injuries, police said.