HERMITAGE, Tenn. – Police are searching for an armed suspect who fired a shot at an employee during a bank robbery in Hermitage.
The incident occurred at the Pinnacle Bank on Andrew Jackson Parkway near Lebanon Pike just after 2 p.m. Tuesday. The bank is in a busy part of Hermitage, just across the street from Walmart.
Police said a 41-year-old female employee was eating lunch in a conference room when the gunman entered the bank, demanded money, and yelled "no police."
The gunman saw her and she shut the door to a conference room. He then fired a shot into the door, which lodged into the conference room wall. After firing the shot, the gunman robbed one of the tellers and fled the bank.
The woman was not shot, but sustained an injury to her hand, possibly from hitting it on a table as she was taking cover. She was taken to Summit Hospital with minor injuries.
Officials described the suspect as a thin male, wearing a blue plaid shirt over a gray long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans. The man was also wearing a "Gilligan-style" hat with sunglasses and a backpack.
Police said it appears from the surveillance images that he may have used makeup, spray tan or a similar substance to darken his face.
The suspect fled the scene in an older model white Pontiac Grand Prix with an unknown amount of cash. A similar vehicle was found blocks away at the Tulip Grove Apartments on Lebanon Pike. After a close examination it was determined the vehicle was not related.
Aaron said the suspect was considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about the robbery should call Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME.
