‘Palpatine Bandit’ robs Glisan Street bank

Why are officials giving this bandit a Star Wars villain’s nickname? Take a look …

Robbery detectives check streets in the Hazelwood neighborhood, looking for a bank robbery suspect.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

A bank robbery on December 14 about 1:00 p.m., robbery at the U.S. Bank branch located at 12203 NE Glisan Street was typical, as bank robberies go – but the suspect’s surveillance images fueled the imagination of Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Robbery Division detectives.

“Bank employees to told officers that the suspect approached the bank teller, displayed a note demanding money, and obtained an undisclosed amount of cash,” said PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Pete Simpson. “After that, the suspect left the bank without incident. No weapons were seen or implied during the robbery.”

Have you seen a man who looks like “Darth Sidious”? If so, let police know. PPB provided bank surveillance images

Simpson said the suspect was described as a white male, 50 to 60 years old, wearing a dark-colored hooded jacket, blue jeans and sunglasses.

“Robbery detectives have nicknamed the suspect ‘The Palpatine Bandit’, due to his resemblance to Star Wars movie franchise character Emperor Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious,” Simpson said.

Anyone with information about this suspect is asked to contact Detective Brett Hawkinson at 503-823-1080, brett.hawkinson@portlandoregon.gov.

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