On Oct. 15, 2019, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Champaign Police responded to Regions Bank, located at 111 South State Street, for a reported bank robbery involving shots fired. Upon arrival, it was determined an armed robbery had occurred with gunfire believed to have been discharged inside the business. There were no injuries sustained from the gunfire; however, one employee did receive head injuries after being assaulted by a suspect.
After arriving at the business, Champaign Police engaged in a foot pursuit of the suspects following information gathered during the initial on-scene investigation. A short time later, two suspects were apprehended a few blocks from the business and one gun was recovered. A 16-year-old male was arrested and an 18-year-old male, identified as Dakir D. Pickens, was also arrested.
Although arrests have been made, the investigation into the incident remains ongoing. If any resident or business in the nearby area has exterior surveillance camera systems, please contact the police department. It is believed video footage may be of investigative assistance.
Out of an abundance of caution, Champaign Police advised nearby schools to be placed on a soft lockdown while the initial investigation was conducted. There was no direct threat to the schools.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please to contact police at 217-351-4545. Arrangements may be made for information to be shared privately. If you wish to remain anonymous you may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at: 217-373-8477 (TIPS); online at 373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app.
Champaign Police reminds citizens that information submitted to Crime Stoppers is completely anonymous. Calls are routed to a third-party national call center that receives your information, completes a tips information form, and then passes the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Caller ID tracking is not utilized by Crime Stoppers and conversations are not recorded.