Bank heist suspect killed by police

Jace Radke

Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003 | 9:33 a.m.

Police are trying to determine whether the man who was killed in a shootout with a police officer Tuesday was half of a bank-robbing duo responsible for a string of December holdups in the Las Vegas Valley.

Robert Nusbaum, 34, of Palmdale, Calif., was shot by officers shortly after the New Year's Eve robbery of the Bank of America at 801 N. Nellis Blvd., police said. An alleged partner was captured nearby after fleeing the scene of the shooting.

Maxey Taylor, 23, was booked on murder charges in connection with the suspect's death. Nevada law allows principals in a crime that results in death to be charged with murder. Taylor also was charged with attempted murder of two police officers.

Deputy Chief Ray Flynn said that the gun battle and the arrest of Taylor may have ended a bank robbing spree.

"We know that we've had a white male/black male team involved in six to nine bank robberies since Dec. 1, and these suspects appear to match the description," Flynn said. "The M.O. is the same, with a suspect walking in, displaying a weapon and demanding money" and an accomplice serving as a getaway driver.

That's how the Bank of America robbery went down about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Flynn said.

The robbers made off with an undisclosed amount of money, but about 10 minutes later two Metro officers in the area spotted the suspects in a parked Acura in the parking lot of the Triest Court Apartments, at the corner of Triest Court and Bonanza Road about three blocks south of Lamb Boulevard.

The officers, William Guesman and Joel Cranford, pulled into the parking lot, and the driver of the Acura ran, while the passenger, Nusbaum, began shooting at the officers, hitting Guesman in the leg near the knee, Flynn said.

Guesman was treated and released from University Medical Center Tuesday afternoon and is expected to make a full recovery.

Nusbaum died at the scene from gunshot wounds. The driver, who had fled the alley, was arrested by other officers about two blocks from the gun battle, Sgt. Rick Barela said.

The money taken from the bank was recovered, police said.

The officers, who were paired as partners as part of Metro's beefed-up patrol plan for the New Year's celebration, were both placed on paid administrative leave per department policy. Guesman has been with Metro since July 1997 and Cranford has been on duty since July 2002.