A Pennsylvania man armed with a machete held an employee hostage during a bank robbery before leading police on a high-speed chase and ultimately being shot and killed by an officer, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Pennsylvania man fatally shot by police after chase
The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Luis Fuentes, ignored repeated police commands to drop his weapon and then moved toward a group of utility workers, prompting an officer to fire a fatal shot, officials said.
Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams announced this week that the Lancaster City police officer’s use of deadly force against Fuentes on January 24 was in accordance with the law, according to WGAL-TV.
Authorities said Fuentes entered the Fulton Bank on South Duke Street around 10:10 a.m. carrying a duffel bag and wielding a 28-inch machete.
At the time, four employees and one customer were inside. According to Adams, Fuentes took one of the employees hostage, and while inside for approximately five minutes, he made multiple threats.
An employee managed to dial 911 and left the line open, allowing dispatchers to hear Fuentes inside the bank.
Pennsylvania man threatened to kill hostages
“Fuentes could be heard repeatedly threatening to kill multiple people inside the bank,” the DA’s office stated, according to WGAL.
At 10:15 a.m., Fuentes fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of money, got into an SUV, and sped north along Duke Street.
A Lancaster City police officer quickly spotted the suspect’s vehicle and began pursuit.
The chase lasted 12 blocks before Fuentes stopped his car in the 400 block of South Plum Street.
Exiting the vehicle, Fuentes refused officers’ orders to surrender and instead waved the machete in the air while striking himself in the chest, officials said.
Body camera footage captured officers instructing him multiple times to “drop the knife,” but he did not comply.
According to Adams, Fuentes then turned his attention toward nearby utility workers. At that moment, an officer fired a single shot, hitting him in the back. Fuentes was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
“The officer had a reasonable belief that a bystander was in danger of death or serious bodily injury when he observed the suspect running toward the bystander with a raised machete,” Adams told WGAL.
“The suspect had also just committed an armed robbery, led officers on a 12-block vehicle pursuit, and was refusing to drop the machete while trying to escape and avoid arrest. For all of these reasons, the officer’s use of force was justified.”
In addition to the machete, authorities said they recovered multiple weapons from Fuentes.
Police discovered a knife tucked into his waistband, a hatchet concealed in his jacket, and a metal baton and hammer inside his duffel bag.
Memphis man arrested for axe attack
In an unrelated case, a Memphis driver armed with an axe allegedly attacked another vehicle following a traffic collision, authorities said.
Memphis police responded to a call regarding aggravated assault at the intersection of Poplar Avenue and South Goodlett Street in late February.
According to officers, the victims—an elderly man and his girlfriend—were inside their vehicle when they accidentally rear-ended a Chevrolet Impala.
The driver of the Impala exited his car holding an axe and, without hesitation, began striking the victims’ vehicle multiple times before getting back into his car and driving away, police said.
One of the victims, a 76-year-old man who requested anonymity, described the harrowing encounter to WREG-TV.
“It seemed more menacing as he got closer,” he recalled. “He took a huge swing and knocked out the back window with one or two swings. Then he came to the driver’s side and started whacking at the door with the axe and put a hole in the driver’s side door.”
Authorities identified the suspect as 51-year-old Brent Fong and arrested him on Thursday.
He has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, and vandalism. His bond is set at $100,000.
Police records show that Fong has a history of violent offenses. WHBQ-TV reported that last year, he was arrested for throwing a brick into an ambulance windshield.
Additionally, five years ago, he pleaded guilty to hurling a brick through someone’s window, injuring the victim’s head. He served only one day in jail for that incident.
Further records indicate that 25 years ago, Fong was charged in connection with a shooting in Memphis but was released after pleading guilty by reason of insanity.
Investigators continue to look into the circumstances surrounding the latest attack as Fong remains in custody.
