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Buffalo Police K-9 credited with flushing out bank suspect

Captain Jeff Rinaldo says the suspect ran into the Apollo Theater and was forced out by the K-9 officer and arrested.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Police say one man is in custody after allegedly robbing the M&T Bank at 1300 Jefferson Ave on Wednesday morning. 

Captain Jeff Rinaldo tells 2 On Your Side the man had run into the Apollo Theater, one block north on Jefferson, after the robbery.

According to Officer Steve Mikac from the department's K9 unit, a tracker was in the bag allowed responding officers to track the suspect inside the theater. 

"The responding officers were able to make a perimeter around the building, and Hydro and I went into the building and yelled the canine warnings out," Mikac said. "As we were yelling, our warnings out, an employee walked out. So I helped him move away, and as soon as the employee cleared the threshold at the door, our suspect went running down the hallway."

The suspect eventually ran out of the back of the Apollo Theater where officers were positioned and he was quickly arrested after a brief chase. 

Mikac praised responding officers for quickly setting up the perimeter around the theater so Hydro could safely track the suspect. 

"Every situation is different, where it doesn't work out like that, but today with an awesome job by the officers that were there and be able to set up that scenario perfectly," he said. 

Credit: WGRZ

After the suspect was arrested, Hydro went back to work and located the stolen money in the theater. 

Hydro has been a part of the Buffalo Police Department K9 nearly four years according to his partner. 

"I received Hydro from a retired Buffalo officer Jim Duffy, who went through the training with him and he did a fantastic job with him," Mikac said. "Then I was able to go to the training with Hydro and get experience as a team together and to grow together."

The name of the suspect is not available at this time.

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