The Wachovia Bank at the intersection of Broad Street and Watchung Ave. in Bloomfield was robbed today at about 2:45 p.m. by a man with a gun. Customers and workers who were inside the bank when it happened were released around 3:20 p.m. after giving statements to the police. Sirens can be heard throughout the area as police search for the suspect, who fled. Montclair and Bloomfield police cars were seen inside Brookdale Park; early reports suggested the gunman had fled in that direction. Bloomfield police are all over the scene, assisted by Essex County sheriffs. One man told us that he was in the drive-through line, saw the robbery inside and drove to the bank across the street and told tellers there to call 911.
At about 3:30, the park was closed to vehicular traffic, but pedestrians and cyclists were able to get in.
If this guy is ever caught, I’d like to see his getaway route.
That intersection is a mess.
If the guy (or gal) has a gun and may be in Brookdale Park, shouldn’t they keep pedestrians and cyclists out, as well?
So the drive-thru witness was the one guy left in the county without a cell phone. Comedy is where you find it…
county = country.
My daughter just called me all excited about this. She and many of her 8th grade friends who had just graduated were having a picnic in the park and the police came and herded them to an area and told them to stay there.
The ironic twist to this is that the picnic was originally planned to be held at Watsessing Park but was moved to Brookdale as some parents deemed Watsessing to be too dangerous.
Nellie – I thought the same thing especially with my daughter and her friends there but apparently the police gave them an all clear.
Tom – I thought the same thing as well!
Anne – it seems that Bloomfield at large is becoming too dangerous. But as quality of life diminishes, those in charge will keep hurling law suits at each other, hiring consultants at exorbitant cost — and then complain they can’t afford to staff fire houses and the police department! Thank God all the kids in the park were OK!
Anne, yikes–glad there was no danger for the kids.
Speaking of Watsessing Park being dangerous, does anyone have an update on that poor kid who was beaten half to death in that park a couple of months ago? I think of him every time I’m in that neighborhood.
Katie, I have been wondering the same thing. Hope he’s OK!
Katie – he graduated from BMS on Wednesday with his class.
YAYYYYY!!!! :’D
Anne, thanks so much for the update–I’m so delighted to hear it!!
Wonderful ! I too have been wondering how that child is doing. That is wonderful news!
My wife & I had prayed for him.
Yes, it was so heartening to see him graduate, especially for us Watsessing parents who’ve known him since grade school.
Me no likey armed robbered. I prefer my robbers armless.
Amazing that, as of Saturday AM, Baristanet has the only significant coverage of the story. The SL could only say: “It was not immediately clear whether the man’s attempt to rob the bank was successful or not.”
It’s a good bet the bank’s tellers would have told police of any stolen cash, and that would be in the police report. It’s still early, but I’d guess the robbery was not successful.
Bloomfield is circleing the drain. I moved 3 weeks ago while my house was still worth something. Verona sure is a change from Grove st. and Bloomfield av
Is it really necessary to mock Bloomfield when many of us still live here and love it!
It might be fun to go treasure hunting in the park this afternoon
Good riddance to Shoebooty.
I bank at Sovereign and when I visited today the teller told me that when the guy who was in the drive-thru line at Wachovia drove over to report the robbery in progress and ask them to call 911 he still had the Wachovia drive-thru banking tube in hand!
I’m sure all of us would have been pretty freaked to see a gunman inside the bank that we were pulled up next to. Not sure I’d have had the presence of mind to call 911- and certainly not from tha Wachovia parking lot!
Some of us still live here but we no longer love it. There’s not much left to love.
Karen, I agree with your statement.
The Taxes are way too high, the students scores in the school systwm are way too low, there is too many violent altercations involving the young and one cannot shop in the center. Nobody can deny this.
But, for commuters…. it does offer mid-town direct train service, and quick & convenient access to the G.S. Parkway !
The “Green” as it’s called is picturesque and much of the beautiful Brookdale Park, is IN Bloomfield.
SOooo, it has its good points, too. One thing that IS needed is 100-percent totally all new leadership, from the top down!
I understand very well what people are saying about Bloomfield. Our car has been broken into a few times in front of our house. We are disappointed and angry about the lack of response from the town when we ask for added neighborhood patrolling. BUT, the disturbing fact is that this is happening in all of the surrounding towns too…Check out each town’s police blotters.Last week the Montclair police blotter was around 6 pages long. It is not only in Bloomfield people…it is everywhere. The question is how do we get our town officials to wake up and start doing something about the increase in crimes rates in our area.
Hey Hugh i just heard it flush lol