Bank robbery suspect arrested after barricading himself in taxi for 2 hours: Vancouver police

A man suspected of robbing a bank in Vancouver's Chinatown was arrested Thursday evening after a lengthy standoff where the man barricaded himself in a taxi, local police say.

Vancouver police said staff at a bank located near Main and East Pender streets called 911 at about 5:30 p.m. to report the robbery. When officers arrived, they saw the suspect trying to get away in a cab.

"Officers stopped the taxi near Main Street and National Avenue, allowing the driver and a second passenger to flee," Vancouver police said in a news release. "The robbery suspect barricaded himself inside the taxi and refused to communicate with police."

Dozens of police officers were seen in the area with guns drawn. One could be heard talking to the suspect on a loudspeaker.

Taryn Stephenson, a witness who lives nearby, told CTV News Vancouver this isn't the first time she's seen police with guns, targeting a vehicle on the street below her apartment. Stephenson also said many people in her building don't feel safe and are planning to move.

"It's no big secret that Chinatown has been facing a lot of challenges since the pandemic," Stephenson said. "I wish I could say that I was shocked to see this happening in the city of Vancouver, but unfortunately, I'm not."

The suspect was eventually taken into custody at about 7:30 p.m. Police said a police dog and conductive energy weapon were used during the arrest.