Advertisement

West Vancouver mall bomb scare was a botched bank robbery: police

Police vehicles seen outside Park Royal South Mall on Wednesday.
Police vehicles seen outside Park Royal South Mall on Wednesday. Ronn Platt

West Vancouver police say an attempted robbery was at the heart of an evacuation at the Park Royal South Mall Wednesday evening.

At the time of of the evacuation, police took to Twitter saying they were responding to a suspicious package, and later that they had deployed a bomb squad.

In an update Thursday, police said they had been called to a robbery in progress at the CIBC in the mall.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

“A male had presented a note to bank staff demanding cash and threatening to detonate an explosive device inside his backpack,” police said in a media release.

Police arrested the suspect exiting the bank, but then cleared the area due to concern about possible explosives.

Story continues below advertisement

An RCMP explosive disposal unit later determined that there was no bomb.

Investigators say Glen Edwin Brown, a 52-year-old man of no fixed address, has been charged with robbery and released on conditions.

Click to play video: 'Metrotown Mall and SkyTrain station evacuated after reports of a shooting and a pipe bomb'
Metrotown Mall and SkyTrain station evacuated after reports of a shooting and a pipe bomb

Sponsored content

AdChoices