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Scott William Thompson

Gender : Male

Age : 56

Race : White

Date : 03/26/2024

Location : 141 W. Bastanchury Road

City : Fullerton

County : Orange

State : California

Agency : Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Bomb Squad, Fullerton Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police after robbing bank

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On March 26, 2024, at approximately 5:09 p.m., Fullerton Police Department officers responded to a reported bank robbery at the Wells Fargo branch located at 141 W. Bastanchury Road. The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Scott William Thompson, entered the bank wearing a mask and claimed to possess a bomb contained within a white box. He demanded $58,000 from the teller, threatening to detonate the device if his demands were not met. At the time, the bank was occupied by employees and at least one customer. Officers arrived on the scene within two minutes and established communication with bank employees via telephone. Approximately ten minutes into the incident, employees informed officers that they had placed the demanded money into a box labeled "DPS" and that Thompson would be exiting the bank shortly. Upon exiting the bank holding the white box, officers issued commands for Thompson to stop and raise his hands. Thompson failed to comply and began walking back toward the bank entrance. Fearing that he might re-enter the bank with an explosive device, officers discharged their firearms, fatally wounding him. The Orange County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad was dispatched to assess the potential threat. They determined that the device was a facsimile, constructed to resemble an actual explosive but incapable of detonation. No officers, bank employees, or customers were injured during the incident. Subsequent investigations revealed that Thompson had an extensive criminal history, including prior federal convictions for armed bank robbery and escape, and was on federal probation for armed bank robbery at the time of the incident.
ABC7 NEWS

NUMBER OF CASUALTIES DURING THIS POLICE ENCOUNTER: 1 fatality

Last Update: 11/29/2024

SOURCE LINKS :

https://abc7.com/fullerton-police-video-deadly-officer-shooting-wells-fargo-bank/14735647/
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/man-claiming-to-have-explosive-device-shot-by-police-outside-wells-fargo-in-fullerton/
https://www.cityoffullerton.com/Home/Components/News/News/383/1314