Newly released footage from Florida police shows the incredible moment a sniper shot a bank robber with a bullet that ripped through a desktop computer, passed between two hostages and fatally wounded the suspect.
The incident occurred on Feb. 6, when a 36-year-old man attempted to rob a Bank of America in Fort Myers and took two people hostage inside the bank’s offices after being cornered by police.
The suspect told police he had a bomb and crouched behind the hostages, using them as human shields, as negotiators urged him to surrender.
However, the robber suddenly strangled one of the hostages, holding a knife to his throat, forcing the officers to act quickly.
Footage from the scene released by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office showed SWAT officers positioned outside the bank doors while the shooter hoisted a rifle on another officer’s shoulder.
The shooter aimed his rifle at the suspect, whose head was just barely visible above a computer monitor across the room.
“Keep talking to me. I want to know what you’re thinking right now,” the negotiator said.
Moments later, the sniper pulled the trigger and a gunshot rang out.
Inside the bank’s offices, a bullet ripped a hole through a computer monitor before hitting a robber hiding behind two hostages.
The video shows the suspect collapse to the floor as the hostages run in different directions.
Officers then stormed into the office and threw flash bang grenades, ensuring the suspect was neutralised and the hostages safe.
“This shooting position is routinely trained by snipers in preparation for emergency situations like these,” Lee County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Todd Olmer said next to the video, describing the shoulder lock shooting position.
“Due to the suspect’s limited exposure, the shooter premeditatedly and deliberately fired his gun through the computer monitor, striking the suspect in the center of the forehead, killing him instantly,” he said.
“Firing through barriers is a technique that Lee County Sheriff’s Office Special Forces snipers train and perform routinely,” Olmer continued.
“The .308 caliber bullet used has been specifically selected due to its known ballistic reliability in passing through intermediate barriers.”
With post wire.
