On a warm July afternoon, chaos unfolded in Dunwoody when a bank robbery spree was brought to a halt by quick-acting law enforcement. According to a report from Dunwoody Police Department, officers were called to the scene at Synovus Bank on Chamblee Dunwoody Rd. A suspect, later identified as 71-year-old Sharke Bankston, had entered the bank and attempted to rob it by presenting a demand note. However, his efforts were in vain as he left the bank with no cash.
Undeterred, Bankston proceeded to test his fortunes at a nearby Chase Bank, where his persistence seemed to have paid off. By presenting another demand note, he managed to leave with an undisclosed amount of cash. His escape plan, to discreetly disappear into a nearby woodline and change his attire, was foiled when officers, already scouring the area, located and detained him. The suspect was taken to Dunwoody Police Headquarters to be further questioned about the day's events.
Investigations quickly revealed that Bankston was no stranger to bank heists; he was implicated in two additional robberies, one each in the cities of Brookhaven and Chamblee. The Brookhaven Police Department had an open warrant for his arrest, while the Chamblee authorities had also pegged him as the primary suspect in their bank robbery case. Responding to the situation at hand, representatives from these jurisdictions converged upon the police headquarters in Dunwoody for an integrated interrogation of Bankston.
Following the interviews, Bankston was transported to Dekalb County Jail, where he is to face charges for the warrant out of Brookhaven and for the criminal offenses in Dunwoody. As for the incidents in Brookhaven and Chamblee, these departments have urged inquiries to be redirected to their respective spokespeople. The Dunwoody Police Department, through Sgt. Michael Cheek, has requested all media inquiries to be channeled via email.
