Bank robber shot by police gets 20-year term

SEATTLE – A bank robber shot by Seattle police after a car chase last summer has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison.

Douglas Michael Cox, 51, wore a wig and sunglasses when he hit up a Wells Fargo branch in West Seattle on July 1, 2008. He jumped over the counter and aimed a pellet gun at the teller, took money out of two drawers, and then got into a getaway car driven by a friend.

The driver bailed out as police gave chase, and Cox moved behind the wheel. He sped into downtown Seattle, where he got stuck in traffic.

Officers surrounded the car and fired 15 rounds, wounding Cox after he raised his pellet gun.

At Friday’s sentencing, U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik said the victims of the crime included people who witnessed the shooting and police who had to make the difficult decision to open fire.

Cox was previously convicted of bank robbery in 1998 and 2002.