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Suspect at large following Salmo armed robbery

Employees receive debriefing from professional trauma counsellor post-robbery

Sheri Regnier/Trail Daily Times

Surveillance video is in police hands after an armed bank robbery occurred at the Salmo branch of Kootenay Savings Credit Union just before closing Tuesday afternoon.

The Salmo RCMP detachment responded to a bank robbery alarm from the Main Street branch of Kootenay Savings Credit Union (KSCU) at approximately 4:50 p.m. on Monday, confirmed Cpl. Debbie Postnikoff in a Tuesday news release.

Officers from Salmo, Nelson and Trail were called to the scene after a male suspect brandished a gun then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The armed robber was not apprehended and no arrests have yet been made, said Postnikoff.

No customers were in the bank during the heist and no one was injured.

However, the five KSCU employees were shaken by the gun-wielding intruder, and spent the following morning debriefing with a professional trauma counsellor, confirmed Dean Civitarese, the bank's risk management manager.

"We do provide robbery training," said Civitarese. "Our employees followed everything to a 'T' as they are trained to do, but we do ensure counselling after the fact."

Employees were given the option of returning home post-counselling, but everyone was feeling okay, and the bank opened for 'business as usual' by noon, he added.

"We do have continual monitoring by recording equipment," Civitarese confirmed. "And it is all part of the investigation now."

The at-large male perpetrator donned a black mask with a hood pulled down over his face, however he is described as a 5'6" Caucasian and about 150 lbs, dressed in black pants, and a new-looking purple ski jacket.

The Salmo detachment is continuing to investigate the serious incident along with the RCMP forensic team from Nelson and the Kootenay Boundary General Investigation Section.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1.800.222.TIPS or the Salmo police at 357.2212.