Serial bank robbery suspect shot, killed by police as he threatened woman with knife

WILKINSBURG, Pa. — A serial bank robbery suspect was shot and killed by authorities Wednesday night in Wilkinsburg, police said.

Shawn Stevens, 49, had been sought in connection with bank robberies in Edgewood Towne Center, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill.

On Wednesday, a search warrant was obtained for an address in Wilkinsburg where it was believed Stevens might be hiding, officials said. When Allegheny County police detectives, Pittsburgh police detectives and FBI agents went to the address and checked it, they learned Stevens might have been hiding at an apartment building in the same block on Center Street.

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The group of agents and detectives went into the building about 9:30 p.m. and went door-to-door. As they were talking to a woman who answered the door of a first-floor apartment, Stevens tried to slam the door shut, hitting a Pittsburgh detective in the leg, authorities said.

Authorities then went into the apartment and saw Stevens holding a kitchen knife. Despite commands to drop the knife, Stevens threatened to stab women who were in the apartment, police said.

Stevens lunged at one of the women with the knife, knocking her to the ground and slightly cutting her, according to authorities. At that point, a detective used a Taser, but it had little to no effect on Stevens.

When Stevens again tried to lunge at the woman, one Pittsburgh police detective and one FBI agent fired at Stevens, hitting him, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Allegheny County police and the FBI are handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. The findings will be turned over to the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office for review and to determine justification on the use of force.

The bank robberies in which Stevens is suspected happened Sept. 9 at a Citizens Bank on Fifth Avenue, Sept. 17 at a PNC Bank on Walnut Street, and Wednesday at the Citizens Bank inside the Edgewood Towne Center Giant Eagle.

Surveillance video from the Edgewood Citizen's Bank helped authorities positively identify Stevens as the same person who robbed the other two banks.

Cox Media Group