Virginiatown bank robbery
The Virginiatown Bank Robbery was a 1972 robbery of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Virginiatown, Ontario, Canada.
| Virginiatown Bank Robbery | |
|---|---|
| Location | Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Virginiatown, Ontario |
| Date | December 21, 1972 |
Attack type | Robbery |
| Weapons | 1 machine gun, 1 pistol |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Motive | Robbery |
Robbery
At 9:30am,[1] on Thursday[2] December 21, 1972, two[3] French-speaking[1] armed robbers charged into the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Virginiatown and demanded to be provided with the bank's cash.[4] One staff member was on the phone at the moment the robbers entered, and relayed the situation to the telephone operator who summoned the police.[1] The robbers were armed with a pistol and a machine gun.[2]
The robbery was timed to coincide with the bank holding the money for that Friday's Kerr-Addison Mine salary payments.[4] Staff provided the robbers with approximately $60,000 in cash.[1]
Neighbouring gas station owner Dave Mann observed the armed men entering the bank and discharged his .303 calibre rifle towards the bank.[4] Mann's shot scared off the getaway driver, leaving the robbers stranded inside.[4] Police arrived on the scene, but were overpowered by the robbers, who stole their vehicle[1] and used it to abduct branch manager Robert (Bob) Emmell.[3][4] 2015 local reporting indicates that staff member Helen Gibson was also held hostage.[5]
Leaving in the police vehicle, the robbers drove towards Quebec, dropping Emmell near the Mount Cheminis,[4] while changing vehicles and shooting the tires of the abandoned police car.[1] Nobody was injured during the events.[6]
Later the same morning,[6] Quebec Police arrested and charged a 25-year-old man from Arntfield before releasing him on a $500 bail.[7] As of 2008, nobody had been found guilty of the crime.[4]
References
- "Bank Bandits Escape in Town's Police Car". Montreal Gazette. December 22, 1972. p. 34. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- Bank Robber May Have Been Wounded, The Kingston Whig-Standard, 22 December 1972.
- "Robbers seize payroll, 3 hostages at Virginiatown". North Bay Nugget. December 21, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- "The Virginiatown Bank Robbery – Michael Barnes". Republic of Mining. March 14, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- "GIBSON, Helen". BayToday.ca. February 21, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- $500 Bail Set in Bank Holdup, The Sault Star, 29 Dec 1972, Page 1
- Robbery Suspect Out on Bail, North Bay Nugget, 30 Dec 1972