Toronto police say two 18-year-old men are facing charges after a bank robbery in the west end on Friday evening that injured two police officers, one seriously.
Officers were called to a bank in the Mimico neighbourhood on Lake Shore Boulevard West, west of Mimico Avenue, at around 7:15 p.m.
Police said two men entered the bank wearing masks and armed with knives. One man stood near the front of the bank to keep an eye on the entrance as the other man approached the teller with a note demanding cash, police said.
The man then went behind the counter with a knife and began yelling at the teller, investigators said.
During the robbery, police said two plainclothes officers dealing with another investigation in the area arrived while the suspects were still inside the bank.
The officers confronted the men and one of them ran out the back exit prompting one officer to chase him. The officer arrested the man outside after a “violent struggle” but the officer suffered only minor injuries, police said.
Meanwhile, inside the bank, police said another officer got into another “violent struggle” and was stabbed by a man in the abdomen causing serious injuries.
Both men were arrested and placed into custody. Both officers were taken to hospital.
Following a search warrant, investigators said clothing and other evidence linked one of the suspects to several other robberies.
Police said between Jan. 25 and March 24, four bank robberies were committed in south Etobicoke. During these robberies, a man would go into the bank with a balaclava mask. He would approach the teller with a note that said he had a gun and demanded cash. Police said the man would then take off with the cash, fleeing on foot.
On Friday, 18-year-old Neelkanth Shah was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, robbery with an offensive weapon, four counts of robbery, and five counts of disguising with intent.
Also charged was 18-year-old Nathaniel Mohabir. He is facing robbery with an offensive weapon, disguise with intent and assault with intent to resist arrest.