A man walked into a downtown Austin Wells Fargo claiming he wanted to open an account, then handed an employee a note demanding cash and warning he had a bomb. Within two minutes, police had him on the ground.
Officers responded at 4:44 p.m. Tuesday to the bank at 111 Congress Ave. after the threat note was passed to an employee, according to cbsaustin.com. The man got an undisclosed amount of cash and fled on foot, police said.
It didn't take long for the chase to end. Officer Jason Yoon recognized the suspect from the description broadcast over police radio and found him less than two blocks from the bank, just 1 minute and 54 seconds after the robbery call went out, according to the same report. Police-released video shows Yoon pulling up in a cart and firing a Taser at the man, who fell into the road.
Suspect Booked on Robbery Charges, Faces Separate Warrant
The man taken into custody was identified as 26-year-old Makiya Johnson. He was booked into the Travis County Jail on two charges of robbery by threat, the station's report notes.
While officers chased down Johnson, other officers secured the bank, recovered evidence and spoke with witnesses, per the same account. Investigators also said Johnson was wanted on a warrant tied to a separate aggravated robbery case involving a deadly weapon, dated Oct. 10 in a neighboring jurisdiction. Police said he may face additional charges as the investigation continues.
Detective Calls the Response Time 'Significant'
Austin police detective Alexandra Parker pointed to the speed of the arrest as a notable part of the case. “That timeline is significant,” Parker said, according to cbsaustin.com's report.
The arrest, first detailed in KVUE's coverage, came together fast: a bomb threat, a getaway on foot, and a patrol officer closing the gap in under two minutes near one of downtown Austin's busiest intersections along Congress Avenue.
