Suspect Charged in Bank Robbery
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What followed would be a fear-filled half-hour for bank employees and a bomb threat that would shut down the city's center for nearly eight hours.
On a media message board the day after the incident, a poster who said she was a bank employee threatened by the suspect, said it was "pretty scary having a gun pointed at you behind closed doors with no one to help you out of the situation." She said she kept remembering the robbery training employees had been given. "I truly believe this is what helped me and my co-workers get out of this horrible situation OK." (The posting was removed late Tuesday afternoon.)
Robert A. Bywaters, 54, of Schenectady, N.Y., was arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court on Tuesday morning on several counts of armed robbery, armed assault with intent to rob, armed assault with intent to murder, kidnapping, possession of an infernal machine and intimidation to steal from a depository. Judge Michael Ripps entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf on all counts.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to life imprisonment. He is being held on $500,000 bail or $5 million surety in the Berkshire County House of Correction.
He allegedly took $32,000 from the Hoosac Bank on Friday after threatening and holding hostage several tellers but barely made it out the bank's front door before police jumped him and took him into custody. Officers had to use a taser to subdue him.
Standing behind the glass wall of the court's secure room on Tuesday morning, the shaggy-haired Bywaters watched the proceedings intently, his head bobbing back and forth as Ripps and public defender Richard LeBlanc discussed whether his eyeglasses should be returned.
Looking for Help
According to the police reports, Bywaters entered the bank from the Main Street entrance at about 3 p.m. and sat down in the customer service area to the right of the entrance. When questioned if he needed help, the suspect said yes.
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That was the beginning of a terrifying ordeal for four women, who police say kept their cool and aided significantly in the suspect's apprehension and in avoiding a tragedy."I can't say enough about the workers of the bank," said Public Safety Commissioner E. John Morocco on Tuesday, praising their quick-thinking during the ordeal.
Summoned to help the customer, a bank employee led the suspect into her office, where he allegedly kicked the door to try to close it and pointed a gun at her head, saying "We have a real f***ing problem."
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She and three other bank workers were taken into an office. Bywaters allegedly showed them an explosive device and told them "no messing around" or he'd use it. Bank employees said he rolled it in his hand.
One worker was given a nylon bag and told to go get some money. When it wasn't enough, she was told to get more.
Making her way in to the head teller's office, she tossed $28,000 into the bag — and called police on the office phone while the suspect wasn't looking, according to the report.
Police were apparently getting accounts of what was happening inside the bank from at least one or more employees. A silent alarm had also been activated.
During this time, customers had been coming and going, unaware of what was happening. It was not clear how many other bank employees knew. At least two customers were said to be in the bank when the robber left.
Police Waiting
Bank President Stephen Crowe had said he was in his fourth-floor office when someone downstairs called him to say they thought a robbery was occurring. He ran down the stairs — only to pass the alleged bank robber walking out the front door onto Main Street.
Where the police were waiting. With guns drawn.
He was tackled, disarmed and in handcuffs "in less than 5 seconds," said Morocco on Tuesday, praising the swift take down by the city's police. "I think that they performed magnificently. They absolutely did do a good job."
A realistic-looking Walther PPK was taken from him, said police; it fires BBs with a CO2 charge. The money was recovered.
But it wasn't over. Bywaters' blue Dodge van was sitting in the Big Y parking with a big ugly, and very friendly, dog sitting inside. And police were patroling the street with automatic weapons.
And there was the alleged explosive — believed to be military-grade TNT — sitting on the sidewalk outside McClelland's and the Computer Bug.
It was late in the evening before the state bomb squad's containment vehicle showed up. By that time, Main Street had been evacuated. The wet pavement reflected the flashing lights of fire trucks and ambulances sitting at American Legion Drive and Eagle Street to block traffic. An incident command center was set up under a fold-up canopy near the entrance to the L-Shaped Mall parking lot.
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Williamstown Police arrived to help with crowd control; state police, the bomb squad and a state fire marshal were also on the scene. Stamford (Vt.) Fire Department brought down two large light stands to illuminate the area.
Hundreds had descended on the parking lot earlier to see the action, trying to spot the bomb squad's remote-control robots examining the 10-inch-long "tube" on the sidewalk. The bag with the money sat there, too, along with the suspect's hat.
The cold and intermittent rain — and lack of action for hours — sent most of the gawkers home. A few roamed the streets fueled on rumors of hostages, shootings and multiple suspects — none of which were true.
| 3:00 | The robber enters Hoosac Bank, pulls a gun and threatens several employee | 5:30-7 | Evacuation of Main Street. Call for bomb containment vehicle. |
| 3-3:30 | 911 calls from Hoosac Bank; silent alarm tripped. | 10:30 | Explosives containment vehicle arrives |
| 3:30 | Police blocked off entrances to the bank. Suspect exits and is apprehended. | 11:15 | Main Street cleared; residents begin returning home. |
| 3:40-4 | Suspect taken to police station; police begin blocking off Main Street. Bomb squad called. | 11:30 | Dog removed from suspect's van; bomb squad examines vehicle |
| 5:30 | Bomb squad arrives and begins examination of suspicious package | 2:15 a.m. | Van towed away and Big Y parking lot cleared. |
The explosive device on the sidewalk was "rendered it safe," said Morocco. Exactly what it was is awaiting test results, possibly by the end of the week.
It had all the hallmarks of a bomb, he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it is a bomb."
The dog was taken out of the van about 11:30 p.m. and is in the city pound. Morocco said the pit bull looked fierce but is "a nice dog."
The bomb squad looked the van over as a precaution before police searched it. They removed a gray wig, a woman's makeup kit, a large brown hat and a pair of binoculars, among other items. The van was towed away after 2 a.m.
Bywaters was apparently looking to change his life. He paid his rent up to May and told his landlord he was moving "north," said police. There was nothing in the report to indicate why Bywaters was in North Adams or why he was allegedly in the Hoosac Bank. A landline number listed for his address had been disconnected.
Another message board poster claimed to have been a friend of Bywaters, saying he "wasn't a bad guy" and must have been desperate.
Assistant District Attorney Deanna C. Roberts noted that Bywaters had the alleged explosive, gun and bag of money on him when he was arrested and began to say he had prior offenses and aliases but was cut short when LeBlanc said he wasn't contesting bail.
Need to See
LeBlanc asked that Bywaters prescription glasses be returned. "They were knocked off his face when he was pushed to the ground."
Without the glasses, his client would have difficulty reading important documents related to his case, he said.
Roberts said she couldn't release the glasses because they had been taken as evidence but LeBlanc countered that the police could keep the clip-on sunglass shades — his client only needed the prescription glasses back.
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"I've never confronted this kind of issue before," said Ripps, adding he was reluctant to take action on such evidence and wondered if a photograph would suffice for the district attorney's office.Roberts said she would try to expedite the matter but couldn't agree to turning the glasses over.
Ripps said it might come down the sheriff getting Bywaters new glasses.
Throughout the discussion, Bywaters watched the proceedings, standing close to the glass and with a slight smile at times. His gray beard and moustache were neat, his eyes bright and alert. There did not appear to be any family members or friends in the courtroom during the proceedings.
A pretrial hearing was set for June 10. Bywaters' case is expected to go to Berkshire Superior Court. A grand jury will make that determination.
"It really worked out well," said Morocco. "Nobody got hurt."
Edited 2:32 p.m., May 28, 2008; bank employees' names removed. The names are part of a public document entered into evidence for the charges against Bywaters. However, the bank has requested iBerkshires not use the names at this time. We have agreed.
