GOTCHA-Phoenix robbery suspect identified as Mario Edward Garnett killed by police, massive manhunt cross country crime spree sought by FBI, U.S. Marshals and other law enforcement

This was a very bad dude!  It’s a shame he’s a military vet.  But, somewhere along the line he went bad!

AZ Centralreports the man shot and killed by a Phoenix police detective during a Saturday bank robbery has been identified as the suspect in a cross-country crime spree that includes the death of a Mississippi police officer and multiple bank robberies, law enforcement officials said Sunday.


The investigation involved local, state and federal agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Tupelo police, as well as a national media campaign to generate tips from the public. At one point, there was a reward of up to $200,000.

The bloody exchange Saturday in Phoenix brings to a close a week-long manhunt for Mario Edward Garnett, 40, the man police said is responsible for an attempted bank robbery in Atlanta and a bank robbery in Tupelo, Miss. that led to the killing of Tupelo Police Department Officer Gale Stauffer and wounding of fellow Officer Joseph Maher.

The man killed in Phoenix Saturday was identified Sunday as Garnett, a four-year US Army veteran. He was shot by a Phoenix police detective during a robbery and subsequent shootout at about 10 a.m. Saturday at the Compass Bank near 34th Avenue and Thomas Road, Phoenix police said. Law enformcment officials from the FBI confirmed on Sunday that Garnett is the man suspected of committing the other crimes.

Phoenix Police Department spokesman James Holmes said a witness waiting in line at a drive-through fast-food restaurant across the street from the Compass Bank called 911 at 10 a.m. and said he spotted a masked man going into the bank.

Garnett, who was wearing a mask, pointed a weapon at the manager and ordered him to open the teller drawers while demanding everyone else get on the ground, Holmes said. At one point, he had the manager and one of the tellers open the vault.

Police said Garnett left the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.

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