LAUDERHILL, Fla. — A red Kia crashing into a concrete wall in Lauderhill on Northwest 31st Avenue had witnesses in the neighborhood in shock and disbelief on Wednesday.
“Like a ‘boom,’ like a crash,” said witness Nikki Clark. “It’s terrible. It’s bad.”
Plantation police identified the driver as 56-year-old Tommy Duwayne Dennis, who was wanted in connection with a bank robbery.
Investigators say just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dennis went into a TD Bank on State Road 7, and gave an employee a note, demanding money. After getting the cash, he left, authorities said.
With help from the Broward Sheriff’s Office and other agencies, Plantation police say investigators later found the suspect’s getaway vehicle in Fort Lauderdale -- and that’s when the chase started.
Sky 10 was flying above the pursuit until the end.
The Plantation Police Department says the chase was a coordinated effort.
During the pursuit, an officer was seen throwing spike strips onto the road. At one point, the driver disregarded a construction area, drove through a barrier and kept going.
The red Kia was also seen driving the wrong way in a school zone.
The chase ended after a PIT maneuver, when the Kia crashed into a cement wall outside of a home in Lauderhill. Officers then rushed in with guns drawn.
The suspect surrendered with his hands in the air.
He was later taken to the hospital by paramedics for evaluation.
Back at the bank, officials say the FBI responded to assist Plantation police detectives.
The FBI will investigate the bank robbery.
Jail records show that Dennis was arrested in September 2024 on charges of robbery without a firearm and burglary with assault or battery.
In that case, deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Dennis walked into an O’Reilly Auto Parts store in unincorporated Broward County and demanded money from the cash register.
Authorities said Dennis “denied demanding money, claiming instead that he went behind the counter to get some help due to the way he felt.”
Dennis’ charges, bond and mugshot in the Wednesday bank robbery, police chase and arrest were not immediately released.
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