Armed Robbery at First Niagara Bank

3:30 p.m. Update:

EMMAUS - Police chased a suspected armed bank robber through part of Emmaus around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to multiple sources.

The suspect is a 6-foot-tall black man who was wearing a black or dark colored hoodie, black mask and black pants.

The man had a black and silver hand gun when he robbed First Niagara Bank at 502 State Road (Lehigh and Harrison Streets) in Emmaus. The bank is closed but customers are still able to use the ATM.

A man at a neighboring Sunoco gas station said he saw police and search dogs in pursuit behind the Kelly Buick car dealership. Residents report seeing police activity at Third and Harrison Streets and Ridge Street earlier this afternoon.

Police have not released any information on the incident as of 3 p.m.

This marks the sixth Emmaus bank robbery since July 2010.

A gunman wearing a ski mask and goggles on Chestnut Street in July.

The same was robbed on July 2, 2010.

The on Main Street involved a shoot out with police in December 2010.

There were four bank robberies in Emmaus last year:

• Sovereign Bank on July 2
• on July 10
• Lafayette Ambassador Bank on Dec. 3
• KNBT on Dec. 30

Original report:

Police scanner reports say an armed robbery happened at a branch of First Niagara Bank around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The bank on Lehigh and Harrison Streets in Emmaus is closed. A sign posted in the window says the closure is due to a power outage. But a customer told a Patch reporter that he was able to use the ATM machine, which surprised him if the power is indeed out.

An empty police cruiser was parked in the bank's lot as of 3 p.m.

An employee at a nearby Sunoco gas station says he saw police activity near the bank around 2 p.m. - that police were possibly pursuing a suspect on foot behind the Kelly Buick car dealership.

Emmaus police told Patch they have no information to release at this time.

According to police scanner reports, the alleged robber is a six-foot-tall black man wearing a black hoodie, black pants and a black mask. There was a foot pursuit on Macungie Avenue, according to scanner reports.