Video released Saturday reveals a new angle of the moments leading up to a sniper fatally shooting an armed hostage-taking bank robber in the head Feb. 6, 2024 in Fort Myers, Florida.
The robbery occurred at the Bank of America branch located near Bell Tower Shops, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). The LCSO identified the suspect as Sterling Ramon Alavache, 36.
An LCSO Special Operations Unit (SOU) sniper can be seen training his weapon at Alavache as another officer negotiated with Alavache, the LCSO video shows. The weapon’s barrel rested on the shoulder of another officer in what Lee County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lt. Todd Olmer described as “a team member-supported firing position,” according to the video.
The first 911 call reporting the incident claimed Alavache jumped over the counter, said he had a bomb and ordered everyone out of the bank, according to an audio file released by the LCSO. There were also screams of “Get your head on the ground!” and “I don’t wanna shoot you!”, among other phrases.
Alavache had taken a man and a woman hostage, the LCSO said. Alavache held a female hostage in what appeared to be a headlock, according to the surveillance footage. He and the woman were partially obscured by a computer monitor from the officers’ point of view, the video shows.
WATCH: Harrowing video shows moment sniper shoots through computer monitor and in between 2 hostages, taking out hostage-taker at Florida bank pic.twitter.com/jt2anv3fo0
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 9, 2024