Police trying to ID man from two attempted bank robberies Tuesday

Vancouver police have released surveillance images in an effort to identify a man who tried to rob two banks Tuesday.

Police released the photos Wednesday in connection with an incident that began around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, when a man entered the Key Bank branch at 1315 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., approached a teller then yelled that he wanted money from the teller’s drawer.

When the teller couldn’t open the drawer, the man ran from the bank, police said.

About 40 minutes later, officers responded to a robbery call from the Chase Bank branch at 8203 N.E. Vancouver Mall Drive. In that robbery try, a man, who appeared to be the same suspect from the previous robbery attempt, entered the bank, said he was robbing it and demanded money.

The teller declined, then the man walked out, according to the police.

No money was taken in either incident, the police said, and in both robbery attempts, the suspect was described as a white man in his 50s wearing a cap and denim shirt.

Officers could not locate the suspect, but the department recovered images of him from surveillance cameras at both banks.

The department asked anyone with information on the man’s identity to call the department tip line at 360-487-7399.

There were three bank robberies, or attempted bank robberies, Tuesday. Earlier that day, a man with a rifle robbed an iQ Credit in east Vancouver, then was killed in a gunfight with police following a pursuit.