Downtown Austin bank robbery suspect arrested

It all started on Tuesday at exactly 4.44 p.m. when employees at the Wells Fargo on Congress Avenue called 911 to report a robbery. Police said the suspect originally walked in pretending he wanted to open a bank account. The suspect then presented a note demanding cash and threatening to have a bomb. The suspect left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash. Officers were dispatched to the area within one minute. Officer Jason Yoon was in the area, spotted the man matching the radio description and took action. Just one minute and 54 seconds after the call came in, Officer Yoon tased a suspect less than two blocks away in the middle of the street. Officer Yoon received the information, responded to the area, recognized the individual matching the description, and he took immediate action. This highlights the importance of officer awareness, quick decision making, and effective radio communication. Police identified the suspect suspect as 26-year-old Makai Johnson. He was booked into the Travis County Jail and is facing two robbery charges. As a former downtown officer myself, who happened to be working extra shift that day, I'm glad I'm afforded the opportunity to continue to work and serve the downtown community. During the investigation, police learned Johnson also had a warrant in relation to a separate aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon just three days before this robbery in a neighboring jurisdiction. Police say Johnson also has several previous felony convictions, including a robbery on his record.