Four arrested after standoff ends peacefully in West Valley City

WEST VALLEY — A seven-hour standoff ended peacefully Tuesday night with the arrests of four suspected bank robbers, including a former Public Enemy No. 1.

A SWAT team surrounded a house near 3600 South and 4800 West Tuesday afternoon. The standoff was sparked by a bank robbery at Premier Services Credit Union, 2250 S. Redwood Road, that happened just before 3 p.m.

Two men with guns entered the bank, demanded money and left in a green SUV after taking an undisclosed amount of cash, said West Valley police Capt. Tom McLachlan. A short time later, police received a tip on the possible location of those involved, he said.

Officers arriving at the address near 3600 South found the wanted SUV and detained three people outside the house. At least one of them was carrying a gun, McLachlan said. An undisclosed amount of money, believed to be stolen, was also recovered from the vehicle.

All three people in front of the house were arrested. One of those arrested was 20-year-old John Bizzle who was a designated a Public Enemy No. 1 by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. Bizzle was wanted in connection with a recent assault and robbery at a Bingham High School sports field.

A 17-year-old boy was also arrested and booked into juvenile detention for investigation of aggravated robbery.

Information from those arrests led officers to believe there were other people inside the house who may have a connection to the bank robbery and there might also be additional weapons, he said. There was also a concern for awhile that there was a working meth lab inside the house, but that information later proved to be false, McLachlan said.

After making contact with the two people inside, McLachlan said officers were eventually able to talk them out. Additional guns and cash were found in the house.

One of the men inside the house, George Dumas, 60, has an extensive criminal history, according to court records. He was arrested in connection with the bank robbery. McLachlan said all four people arrested for the bank robbery had active roles in the incident, even if they weren't actually there.

A woman inside the house was questioned but released. Police learned there was a third person inside the house, but he darted out the door when officers arrived. He was found hiding in a shed down the street, McLachlan said. The man was questioned and released.

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