Police Identify Officer Who Shot Bank Robbery Suspect

Arlington Police Officer Michael Foley, a decorated five-year veteran on the force, was the officer who shot James P. Riley, one of two bank robbery suspects, on Brooks Avenue Friday, according to a Monday release from the department.

“Officer Foley, in fear for his safety and the safety of his fellow officers, acted bravely when he faced down a dangerous felon on Friday afternoon,” Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan said in a statement. “I am proud of him, acknowledging the difficulty that goes into making such a split-second decision.”

Foley and another officer approached a gray Jeep, believed to have been the getaway vehicle from the robbery at Leader Bank in East Arlington, on Brooks Avenue shortly before 3 p.m. Friday. When the officers approached, Riley, 36, of Quincy, brandished a handgun at them, according to police. Foley then fired his service weapon at Riley, who is still in the hospital under police guard in stable condition, police said.

The second suspect, 25-year-old Shawn T. Bambushew, of Everett, was arrested at the scene. He will be arraigned Tuesday in Cambridge District Court in Medford. Riley will be arraigned at a later date because of his condition, according to police.

Both men have been charged with bank robbery and assault by means of a dangerous weapon. Additional charges may follow, as the incident remains under investigation, police said.

Foley has been placed on administrative duties while the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office investigates the shooting, which is standard departmental procedure following an officer-involved shooting, according to the release.

Foley received a Letter and Certificate of Commendation in 2009, after he was part of a team of officers who arrested an armed suspect who was reportedly threatening his neighbors with a handgun, according to the release.

Last year, he was credited with identifying a reckless motorcyclist who had fled from many area police departments over a period of several weeks. His actions directly led to the arrest of the 29-year-old Somerset man, police said.

Anyone with information regarding Friday’s incident is asked to call Arlington police at 781-643-1212.

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