Sniper kills bank robber holding knife to hostage’s throat in Florida

 Sniper kills bank robber holding knife to hostage’s throat in Florida

by Julia Reinstein

2/7/2024 · 6:26 PM CST

Sniper kills bank robber holding knife to hostage’s throat in Florida

Lee County Sheriff’s Office

A man was shot and killed by a police sniper during a bank robbery on Tuesday.

The man, who police identified as 36-year-old Sterling Ramon Alavache, was accused of holding two hostages at a Bank of America location in Bell Tower, Florida.

In a press conference, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said they had attempted to negotiate with Alavache, who had a knife and claimed to also have a bomb.

But when the suspect held a knife to the throat of one of the hostages, a sniper fatally shot him.

“When he presented deadly force like that, our SWAT sniper shot and killed the suspect,” Mr Marceno said. “We were in fear for her life and her safety.”