CHARLOTTE — A SWAT standoff in an east Charlotte neighborhood ended Wednesday afternoon with the arrest of Niyo McGee after an $11,000 robbery outside a Bank of America branch on Albemarle Road. McGee was charged with common law robbery and denied bond by a judge.
According to court records, the incident began shortly before 3 p.m. when an individual withdrew $11,000 from the Bank of America on Albemarle Road. Records indicate the victim was shoved, struck, and robbed of the funds immediately following the withdrawal.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Arrest made after hourslong east Charlotte standoff ]
Police radio broadcasts documented the initial response to the robbery call. A police radio operator detailed the dispatch traffic shortly after the crime was reported.
“Individual took out money out of the ATM, they pushed him took him money and took off,” the operator reported, later adding, “Subject took $11,000 from a person. It says no weapons were used.”
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department aircraft located the individual and followed him to a home in East Charlotte. Dispatch traffic tracked the movement as officers converged on the scene.
A police radio operator noted a “yellow shirt with the younger male, late 20s, early 30s” had “just walked into the rear door of this residence, haven’t seen him come back out yet.”
CMPD officers and a SWAT unit arrived at the neighborhood, positioning sniper rifles, breaching tools and heavy vehicles around the home as local residents watched.
During the perimeter setup, SWAT officers called out to the home’s occupant. “We know that you’re in there. We saw you peek through the window,” officers said.
Following an extended standoff, police negotiators urged the suspect to surrender. “Come outside with your hands up,” negotiators instructed. McGee subsequently exited the home with his arms raised and was taken into law enforcement custody.
McGee was formally charged with common law robbery and appeared before Judge Roderick Davis, who ordered him held without bond.
In the ruling, Davis wrote that “… there are no conditions that can be set that will reasonably assure the Defendant’s presence and the safety of the community.”
Bank of America declined to provide details regarding the robbery at its branch. Representatives for the financial institution stated they are directing all inquiries to law enforcement.