By MIKE RUSSO
According to Nassau County police, Earl Hercules Knowles, 39, of Wyandanch, entered the Bank of America branch at 2464 Merrick Road in Bellmore with an automatic handgun at around 9 a.m. Pointing the weapon at four bank employees, Knowles demanded money, then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash in a maroon Nissan Altima driven by Antonio Earl Gibson, 29, of Bay Shore, police said.
The Nissan headed north on the Wantagh State Parkway, then entered the westbound Southern State Parkway while being pursued by police. As the suspects exited the parkway at Merrick Avenue, they threw the gun out a window, and minutes later, as they raced east along Hempstead Turnpike, they began tossing money out a window as well, according to police. The vehicle then made a hard left onto the NUMC campus, jumping curbs, cutting across traffic and, with money continuing to fly out the windows, setting off a mad scramble for the scattered cash by drivers and passersby.
One witness, who did not give her name, said that she and a friend saw the Nissan fishtail and jump curbs as it entered the NUMC parking lot, and that they, along with other witnesses, dashed for the money that was strewn all over the street.
"He looked like he was drunk," the woman said of Gibson's driving. "There was a helicopter flying right over him and, like, 10 cop cars were chasing after him."
Several witnesses who declined to be identified offered similar descriptions of the scene, and many claimed to have pocketed some of the money.
With police vehicles and a helicopter behind and above them, the suspects abandoned their vehicle in an NUMC parking garage, police reported. Knowles was almost immediately discovered lying under a parked vehicle in the garage and arrested, while Gibson eluded police by leaping some 30 feet from the garage to the ground. According to police, he ran into a building near the garage, where he managed to hide from police for nearly two hours in tunnels beneath the building. Gibson was finally arrested outside the hospital's Activities Center, where he appeared lost and disoriented upon being discovered by police.
"We thank the NCPD for their diligent efforts and cooperation, as well as the Nassau University Medical Center staff for ensuring the safety of patients and visitors," the Nassau Health Care Corporation's president and CEO, Arthur A. Gianelli, said in a press release. "We are grateful for their patience, cooperation and assistance during today's event. While some individuals may have been inconvenienced, staff and patient safety are first and foremost in our minds."
Lee Shanley, the hospital's director of emergency management, said that the facility was in full lockdown mode during the search, with no one allowed to enter or exit the building.
East Meadow High School, a block away from the medical center, as well as W.T. Clarke Middle and High School, were also locked down, delaying Regents exams for several hours. Superintendent of Schools Leon Campo said this was the first time he could recall the entire district being locked down at one time. He said that he heard what had happened at the medical center shortly after 9 a.m., and that by 9:30 the schools were in lockdown mode.
"Our staff at every level should be commended for how they conducted themselves during the emergency," Campo said. "I praise the young people who really, under lockdown conditions, were super."
The schools and the medical center resumed normal operations at around 1 p.m., once Gibson was in custody.
Knowles was charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree criminal use of a firearm. Gibson was charged with first-degree robbery. Both suspects were arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Saturday.
Comments about this story? MRusso@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
