OCALA, Fla. — The three people accused in an armed robbery at an Ocala bank Thursday have been charged, including one who was shot by police.
Police say the trio robbed TD Bank on 17th Street early in the afternoon. At a subsequent news conference, Deputy Chief Lou Biondi said the suspects refused to stop their getaway vehicle, resulting in a chase that hit a top speed of around 90 mph.
That chase ended when the fleeing driver lost control and crashed into a retention pond near the 4400 block of Maricamp Road.
Biondi said two suspects stayed with the crashed vehicle, while another, identified as Randall Lee Williford, got out and approached officers with a handgun.
Biondi said Williford ignored police orders to drop the gun, raising it up instead. He said at that point, police shot him.
The suspect was hit in the right wrist. The injury was not life-threatening.
After the other two were removed from the vehicle, all three were rushed to the hospital, the deputy chief said.
Williford, 37, is charged with robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and kidnapping.
The other two suspects are Amanda Jean Bishop, 34, and Andre Javon Baker, 36. Both are charged with robbery with a firearm. Bishop also faces charges of fleeing and eluding police with disregard for the safety of people or property.
As for Williford’s kidnapping charge, Biondi said he forced a bank teller to leave with them to help them get out. He said the teller was released when the suspects got to their vehicle.
The investigation into the shooting has been turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as is protocol for officer-involved shootings.
Meanwhile, the Ocala Police Department will handle the robbery investigation.
This is the second time in a week that TD Bank has been robbed. Investigators say former Marion County deputy Christina Thagard robbed that same bank Saturday morning.
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