Bank robbery suspect killed in shootout with Vancouver police

The robbery of a Vancouver credit union ended in the suspect’s death Tuesday after he traded gunfire with police.

A man reportedly wearing a ski mask and holding a rifle entered the  iQ Credit Union at 15705 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd. about 2:20 p.m., Vancouver Police Department spokeswoman Kim Kapp said. The robber fled with an undisclosed amount of cash in a white vehicle, then drove to a nearby parking lot. There, he switched vehicles and drove away in a blue vehicle.

Officers responding to the robbery call saw the suspect switch cars. They began pursuing the blue vehicle east on Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard into a rural area.

Using the so-called PIT maneuver to strike its fender, police were able to turn the getaway car and brought it to a stop near the intersection of Northeast 182nd Avenue and Northeast 73rd Street, according to Kapp.

Kapp said the suspect and three officers then exchanged gunfire, and the suspect was hit. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No officers were wounded, according to Kapp. She said the three officers have been placed on leave, per department policy in officer-involved shootings.

The shooting will be investigated by the Regional Major Crimes Team, Kapp said.

The road was closed for nearly a one-mile stretch. Some school bus routes were detoured due to road closures, according to Evergreen Public Schools, but no schools were affected.

Detectives were expected to spend hours investigating three crime scenes — the credit union, the parking lot where the robber changed vehicles, and the location where he died.