Just another day in Toronto! Let me have my smoke!

Let me have my smoke!

By Matthew Coutts, National Post
UPDATE: An hour-long bank heist ended dramatically on Feb 26th in Toronto, after an undercover police officer who had been in the bank all along tackled the robber as he left. “It was scary. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It all happened so fast when they were taking him down,” said Cristen Pennie, who watched from inside a nearby store.

The robber was carrying a knapsack full of money as he left a CIBC branch near a Toys ’R’ Us store in a strip mall at Lawrence and Victoria Park avenues.

He had been inside for some time, unaware of both the undercover officer inside and the dozens more, including 20-plus Emergency Task Force members, hiding outside.

“We were making every attempt to keep everyone back so he didn’t know there were police officers out here,” said Staff Inspector David Marks.

A Global News camera captured the dramatic arrest as police swarmed the man and pinned him to the ground shortly after 11 a.m.

Insp. Marks said police were “extremely lucky” to have an undercover officer among 20 people inside the bank.

“With his assistance, when the suspect left the bank, the suspect was arrested,” he said. Police said a 16-year-old has been charged with robbery and forcible confinement. The robber had gone into an office and demanded cash, saying he had a gun, police said. No weapon was found.

Several witnesses were kept for questioning, with family waiting anxiously outside. One bank employee, named Nella, tearfully embraced her husband before returning to the bank.

“She’s just glad everyone’s OK,” said her husband, Angelo, who did not give a last name. Angelo said his wife had been caught in the middle of two other robbery attempts in the past. “This was the worst of the three. It’s frightening, especially with three kids at home.”

Watch the Global News video of the incident