A Walgreens robbery in Greensboro ended in tragedy — not from police gunfire, but when the suspect lost control of his own getaway SUV and was thrown from the vehicle.
Police say the incident began around 6:45 p.m. Thursday when officers were called to the Walgreens on East Bessemer Avenue after reports of an armed person inside the store. By the time officers arrived, the suspect had already fled in a black SUV heading north on Summit Avenue.
Officers located the SUV in a parking lot in the 1100 block of Summit Avenue. When the vehicle pulled back out, an officer briefly activated lights and a siren — but the suspect sped away. Making a critical call, the officer shut off the lights and chose not to chase.
“The officer deactivated their blue lights and chose not to chase after the SUV” — Greensboro Police
Minutes later, while still patrolling along Summit Avenue, the same officer came across a crash scene on Phillips Avenue on the bridge over U.S. Highway 29. The black SUV had crashed violently — and the driver had been thrown from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have not released the suspect’s identity as family members are still being notified. Investigators confirmed afterward that the man had robbed the Walgreens before his fatal flight.
The Greensboro Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Unit is now leading the investigation into the crash. No officers were injured.
