BMO bank employees capture a bank robber, Vancouver

A bank robber was captured in North Vancouver after he was chased by two employees from the Bank Of Montreal.

Gabriel Williams has been charged with 1 count of robbery. He is alleged to have robbed the Bank Of Montreal on Esplanade in North Vancouver at around 1:10 PM on January 18th. He was chased from the bank by two bank employees, one of them the branch manager. When Mr. Williams entered a taxi near Lonsdale Quay, the employees, together with the taxi driver, held Mr. Williams down until police arrived.

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the ensuing struggle and the bank recovered the money that Mr. Williams is alleged to have taken. Although there were no weapons involved, these types of crimes nonetheless pose a significant risk to the public and strike at the core of the community’s sense of security. “In our culture, a bank robbery is an archetype of ‘right versus wrong’,” says Cpl. Peter DeVries, spokesperson for the North Vancouver RCMP. “In this case, because of the actions of three conscientious citizens, ‘right’ prevailed. And although the police must always caution people against placing themselves at risk, we also want to recognize these brave people.”

Investigators believe Mr. Williams is responsible for a number of other robberies in the Lower Mainland in recent weeks. They have recommended 4 additional robbery charges be laid against Mr. Williams, alleging he committed another robbery at the same Bank Of Montreal in North Vancouver on January 13th, and three more in Vancouver between December 31st and January 8th. Investigators are awaiting Crown Counsel’s decision on those allegations as well as two additional charges of Breach Of Recognizance. Mr. Williams is currently being held in custody.