Man, 72, is accused of threatening to ‘shoot up’ downtown Olympia bank, court records show
Olympia police arrested a 72-year-old man Tuesday on suspicion of threatening to shoot up a downtown bank.
The man attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Wednesday. The day before, officers arrested him outside Olympia Federal Savings on Capitol Way South.
The man allegedly threatened to “shoot up the place” during a Monday phone call with a bank employee, according to court records. The employee reportedly called the man earlier in the day to tell him the bank was going to “freeze/close” his account due to unusual behavior. Officers contacted the man outside the bank on Tuesday.
Judge Carol Murphy found probable cause for “threats to bomb or injure property” and ordered he be released on his personal recognizance with conditions.
In doing so, Murphy determined the court could not be reasonably assured he would appear in court when required. She also barred him from contacting the bank or the employee he allegedly threatened.
Court records show the man has no known adult criminal convictions.
The man had not been charged with the alleged crime as of Wednesday. Prosecutors have until 5 p.m. Friday to file charges or else his conditions of release expire.
If charged, the man is due back in court on May 21 for his arraignment hearing.
A probable cause statement describes the investigation in the alleged crime from the perspective of law enforcement.
An officer responded to Olympia Federal Savings on Tuesday after a bank employee reported the threat. The bank was reportedly closed for the day as a precaution.
The employee told the officer that he called the man on Monday to tell him they were going to “freeze/close” his account. Later that day, the man allegedly called back to ask what was going on.
While on the phone, the man allegedly said he would come to bank on Capitol Way and “shoot up the place.” However, the last bank he visited was a location in Yelm.
The employee notified branches throughout the area and they all closed their doors until the man could be located, according to the statement.
At about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, Olympia officers responded to a robbery alarm at the downtown bank on Capitol Way. A caller advised they saw the man sitting across the street from the bank.
Officers contacted the man near the bank and detained him in a patrol vehicle. While searching him, officers reportedly recovered a small pocketknife.
An officer read him his rights and asked him if he wanted to make a statement. He allegedly agreed and proceeded to admit to threatening the bank as the employee initially described.
When asked why, he allegedly said he was mad at the bank for closing his account. He allegedly explained that he was taking large amounts of money out of the account for his wife. He added he did not intend to act on the threats, according to the statement.
The officer then asked why he visited the bank on Tuesday, but the man did not provide an answer. He allegedly said he did not have access to any firearms.
