Update: Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested by State Police

Thursday 6:40 p.m. – According to Narragansett Police Detective Lt. Sean Corrigan, Patrick Johnson, the 35-year-old suspect in the bank robbery at Bonnet Shores on Wednesday afternoon, was arrested this afternoon.

In an e-mail, Corrigan wrote that Johnson had been arrested in Providence by Rhode Island State Police on Thursday afternoon. More information on the arrest and the investigation will be released on Friday.

Thursday 8:55 a.m. – Security camera pictures of the alleged bank robber have now been published on the Rhode Island Most Wanted website, and Narragansett police have issued a warrant and released a mug shot of Patrick S. Johnson, 35.

According to a Thursday morning press release by Narragansett police, officers have obtained an arrest warrant for Johnson, who was last seen in the Warwick area around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. He is about 6’2” and 230 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.

Narragansett police released a mug shot of Johnson from his most recent prior arrest, a Feb. 2011 incident in Newport for public urination. Newport Patch has a report of that . His last published address is 53 Superior St. in Warwick.

According to the Rhode Island Judiciary online database, Narragansett police have arrested Johnson in the past, along with other departments, on misdemeanor charges.

• In May 2009, Narragansett police arrested Johnson on charges of driving while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license. He pleaded no contest in May to the drunken driving offense, and the suspended license charge was dismissed. At the time, he was ordered to pay a fine and court costs, and to surrender his license for three months.
• In February 2004 and October 2005, South Kingstown police arrested Johnson on charges of driving with a suspended license. The February charge was dismissed in November 2005 after Johnson pleaded no contest to the October charge. He was ordered to pay a fine.
• In February 2003, Narragansett police arrested Johnson on a charge of driving with a suspended license. Johnson pleaded no contest in the same month and was ordered to pay a fine.
• In 2002, Johnson had two additional suspended license charges, one each from Warwick and South Kingstown police. In each case, he pleaded no contest and was ordered to pay a fine.

The Rhode Island Most Wanted website is maintained by state police agencies and departments. For more information, read the frequently asked questions of the organization here.

Wednesday 11:30 p.m. – Narragansett police have released a statement about the robbery earlier today at Washington Trust Bank in Bonnet Shores.

According to police, at about 12:15 p.m. one man robbed the bank by sliding the teller a note demanding money. The robber was described as a white male, 6’1”, wearing a bright yellow hat with ‘Block Island’ on the front, a yellow raincoat and a grey sweatshirt. He was described as having dark hair, with about a day’s worth of facial hair stubble.

As of about 10:15 p.m., an arrest had not been made. According to a police dispatcher, a photo had yet to be released, and one has not been posted on the Rhode Island Most Wanted site either.

Wednesday 1:50 p.m. – Police are investigating a bank robbery at Washington Trust in Bonnet Shores that occurred shortly after noon today.

According to Narragansett Police Captain William McGovern, shortly after noon a man came into the bank and showed the teller a note demanding money. McGovern said no weapon was shown, and the man left with an undetermined amount of money.

McGovern said no one was harmed, and there was one other customer in the bank at the time of the robbery. Police currently do not have any suspects. Investigators and police from Narragansett, South Kingstown and North Kingstown swarmed the area to search for the robber, McGovern said.

Shortly after 1 p.m., Twitter users and other residents in the North End talked of a police investigation involving a robbery at Washington Trust.

According to these people, police were interviewing people at the surrounding stores and from inside the bank at the time. According to employees at a nearby store, they didn’t learn of the incident until after it happened from the police response.

The Washington Trust branch is closed for the rest of the day.

Narragansett Patch will update as more details become available. Thanks to Stephen Lambert for the initial information via Twitter.