BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — A man was shot and killed by police after trying to rob two banks in Bluefield Tuesday morning.
Cedric Maurice Williams, 33, of Bluefield, entered the First Century Bank at around 9 a.m. and left behind a suspicious package, West Virginia State Police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous said.
Williams then moved on to First Community Bank. Police responded and Williams was killed in a gunfight, Baylous said.
“He had a rifle and a pistol and was firing at law enforcement. We are very fortunate he didn’t fire upon bank employees or anyone in the general public out there,” Baylous said. “He was going (between) a front door and backdoor trying to get out of the bank.”
Police detained a man from the scene of the first bank but he was later released. They determined he had nothing to do with the crimes, Baylous said.
“We had to take every precaution available and detain him for a little bit. But after we talked to him we realized he just happened to be at the scene and was just extremely frightened and took off running,” Baylous said.
A police bomb squad removed the suspicious package from the First Century Bank Tuesday afternoon. The package was later detonated.