Bank robbery suspect arrested after making bomb threat

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit police and bomb squad members swarmed One Detroit Credit Union on the east side Tuesday.

The chaos began just before noon inside the credit union on Mack and Ashland street. Police say a man walked into the building with a backpack and began demanding money. Katrina Head and her husband -- in an employee's office -- was overheard yelling from the lobby.

Police say after demanding money the man tossed some sort of device behind the counter. The man told employees and customers that it was a bomb while the teller quickly filled the bag with cash.

"I'm like what the heck is going on?" said Katrina Head, a witness. "We could hear the commotion and they said call 911 call 911."

"People were just running and he was trying to get us out the back door. One of the workers was tussling' with him," Head said.

Detroit police arrived minutes later. Officers were seen evacuating surrounding businesses and blocking off the road.

Although the man was quickly arrested and taken into custody, the device and backpack were still inside. But Bomb squad officers -- soon determining the device was, thankfully, not a threat to the public.

"Officer walked in and she said we need everyone to clear out we have a potential bomb," said Katrina. "I'm like oh let's hurry up and get out of here."

People were seen scattering and driving off or waiting inside businesses across the street.

"They came quick to clear everything out in an orderly fashion," said witness Nicholas Gregory.

After evacuating more than a dozen businesses and clearing the lot, the bomb squad was called in.