6 Bank Holdups Occur During S.F. Police Memorial

Suspects were in custody in three of the six bank robberies that occurred Tuesday as police were setting up or attending a memorial service for two officers.

Five robberies and one failed robbery attempt happened while officers were preparing the service or honoring Officer James Dougherty and Inspector Kirk Brookbush. They died in a helicopter crash last week.

One thousand officers attended the well-publicized service in San Francisco. Police Lt. Bruce Marovich speculated that the criminals timed their heists to coincide with the service, but offered no evidence to support that conclusion.

Four robberies were committed by four different people, Marovich said. A team committed the fifth robbery and the attempted robbery, police said.

The number of officers patrolling the streets was at its usual level during the memorial service, Marovich said. Many officers at the service were off duty, Officer Sherman Ackerson said.

San Francisco averages one bank robbery per week, Marovich said.