Robbery suspect nabbed by off-duty policeman
A bank robbery went awry for two suspects last Monday in Sainte-Rose when one of two robbers was stopped thanks to the intervention of a Laval police officer in civilian clothes.
Towards 2 pm an armed individual caused an eruption in a National Bank branch located on Sainte-Rose Boulevard. Under the threat of his fist a robber stole from three cashes before escaping and joining his accomplice waiting outside in a green Dodge Caravan.
Good timing
Lieutenant Daniel Guérin was eating out with a friend in the neighbourhood when he heard tires screeching and saw a citizen hitting the suspects' window. “At the beginning, I thought they had stolen a woman’s purse, but once calling the station realized that their vehicle fit the description of the two bank robbers,” he said.
The lieutenant got in his car and pursued them, all the while following road regulations because he was not in his police car. “They were driving fast, I lost them from sight a few times but I caught up with them at the top of the Rosemere Bridge. Because they were armed, I followed them in such a way as to not put citizens in danger or elevate their suspicion,” he said. "The important thing for me was to keep them in my line of vision for as long as possible.” Throughout the pursuit, he was communicating with other officers to alert them of the trajectory of the suspects' vehicle.
The delinquent vehicle was finally encircled by police cars on Autoroute 15 at Souvenir Boulevard. At the time of arrest, only one suspect was present in the vehicle. The other individual had escaped the car during the time the lieutenant had lost them from sight.
Get-away car
According to Guérin the get-away car method is often used by seasoned bank robbers. “They speed off, make a sudden stop and then loose themselves in the crowd of other cars,” he said. This method would have worked easily last week if Guérin had not been in the neighbourhood.
“We had the license plate number, but there still has to be a police officer around. It’s a given that in our line of work, you’re a police officer 24/7. When we see a crime, it’s our job to intervene, even as civilians,” said the policeman. This was his second intervention as a civilian. The amount stolen is estimated at $1,000. Gilles Forget had to appear at the Palais de Justice last Tuesday. As for his accomplice, he was arrested at his home Wednesday night after a police investigation. He appeared at the Palais de Justice on Thursday afternoon. The two men are accused of conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and armed robbery.
Steven Guilbeault - 
