Bank Robbery, Shooting In Felton

Location: First National Bank of Wyoming, 105 Irish Hill Road, Felton, DE

 

Date of Occurrence: Friday, August 26, 2011 at 4:50 p.m.

 

Victims: 

 

-53 year old female employee

-44 year old female employee

-52 year old female employee

-27 year old female employee

-41 year old female employee

-33 year old female employee

-50 year old female employee

-54 year old female employee

 

Defendant:

 

-Russell M. Grimes, 40, Wilmington, DE

 

Charges and Arraignment Information:

 

-Robbery 1^st Degree

-Conspiracy 2^nd Degree

-Theft

-Aggravated Menacing (8 counts)

-Possession of a Deadly Weapon during the Commission of a Felony

-Criminal Impersonation

-Forgery Second Degree

 

-Arraigned at JP Court 3 and committed to the James Vaughn Correctional Institution for lack of $94,000.00 cash bail.

 

Suspect:    Black male, 6’00” tall, thin build, with a light complexion. He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and gray pants. This suspect may also be armed and should be considered dangerous.

 

Resume: 

Felton, DE- Delaware State Police detectives have arrested one suspect and are looking for a second following a late afternoon bank robbery in Felton, DE yesterday.

 

The incident began at approximately 4:50 p.m. on Friday, August 26, as a male suspect entered the First National Bank of Wyoming, located in the 100 block of Irish Hill Road, Felton. The suspect, who was displaying a handgun, jumped the bank teller’s counter and demanded money from their drawers. Once the suspect received an undisclosed amount of cash, he fled from the bank and was last seen entering the passenger side of a black SUV with a NJ registration. The SUV, later identified as a Ford Explorer, then fled and was last seen traveling westbound on Irish Hill Road. None of the bank employees were injured.

 

A general broadcast of the suspect vehicle was then transmitted to responding police units. As this occurred, an officer from the Harrington Police Department advised that he was currently directly behind the suspect vehicle. As other officers arrived in the area, the suspects realized that they were being followed. It was at this point that the suspect seated in the front passenger seat of the SUV began shooting at the pursuing patrol vehicles, striking three of them.

 

Officers from numerous police agencies including the Delaware State Police, Harrington Police Department, and the Felton Police Department, continued to pursue the suspect vehicle until it crashed into at ditch in the 500 block of Steele’s Ridge Road in Camden-Wyoming, DE. The suspects then fled from the vehicle on foot with the officers chasing them. At one point during the foot pursuit, a Delaware State Trooper discharged a round from his divisional issued weapon striking one of the suspects, later identified as Russell M. Grimes, in the lower portion of his body. Russell Grimes was then taken into custody. He was transported by EMS to the Kent General Hospital where he was treated and released for his injury.

 

A perimeter was then set up and a search of the area was conducted for the second suspect. The suspect was not located however, and after approximately four hours, the search was discontinued.

 

Russell Grimes was arrested and charged with the above list of crimes. He was arraigned at JP Court 3 and committed to the Department of Corrections for lack of $94,000.00 cash bail.

 

The Trooper involved in this incident is a 16 year veteran of the Delaware State Police assigned to Troop 3, Dover. He has been placed on administrative duty as per departmental policy, pending the outcome of the investigation. 

 

 

Detectives are asking anyone who may have any information in reference to this incident to contact Troop 3 at 302-697-4454. Citizens may also provide a tip by texting keyword “DSP” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES).  Tipsters may also provide information through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333. Callers can also submit information via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.