A US Bank in Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb, was robbed by two men who leapt across the counter, threatening tellers with “a vial of HIV,” according to a local police scanner watchdog.
The Minneapolis Public Safety Monitoring Page posted about the robbery on Monday morning, apparently quoting the words “vial of HIV” from police radio communications. Later that day, local media confirmed that police were investigating the robbery which occurred at 5250 Central Ave NE.
Crime Watch Minneapolis, another police scanner watchdog, shared descriptions of the suspects, adding that their “vial of HIV” contained a red substance and sported a needle.
UPDATED suspect info:
Two BM in 20s, 5’10”. One in mask and khaki coat. One in dark pants. “Not east African.” One had orange soles on his shoes. Both had blue surgical masks. One had a distinctive belt, black and white checked.
One had a vial with a red substance and a needle.— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) December 27, 2021
The local police, sheriff’s and the FBI are presently investigating the robbery.
While this specific crime is certainly unusual, Columbia Heights is no stranger to crime in general. They rank in the bottom 12% for safety, compared to other cities in America. However Columbia Heights is still much safer than Minneapolis which resides in the bottom 2% with 1 in 84 residents becoming victims of violent crime.
Below is a map that shows crimes committed in the Columbia Heights area so far this year:
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
