A bank robbery and car chase that ended Saturday in a fatal shootout with police has left Fred Perkins' family members confused about why the engineer, who had no prior criminal record, would commit such a violent act, The Washington Post reported yesterday.
Perkins, 54, used a handgun when he robbed a bank and took off in the manager's car. Police pursued him for 20 minutes before they opened fire on Perkins after he raised his weapon. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to The Post
Family members said the action caught them completely off-guard.
"He was a great man who had something that maybe he wasn't telling us," Marcus Perkins, the victim's son, told The Post.
The Prince George's County Police Department identified four officers who fired on Perkins, The Post reported. In addition, the Bowie, Md., police department identified three more officers who were also involved in the shooting.
-CHRISTOPHER COTTRELL
