Armed robber hit by police bullet

The police fired shots at an armed robber in Voorschoten, Leiden on Monday morning. The robber was hit in his leg and taken to the hospital. A total of three robbers were arrested.

The police received a report of an armed robbery in progress in a home on Van Beethovenlaan around 10:00 a.m. on Monday. A bystander reported that three men were threatening the home's residents with a firearm.

The police responded in force and immediately started searching the area for suspects, deploying a police helicopter and a SWAT team. The area surrounding the home was closed down.

The officers noticed three people fleeing from the home and gave chase. One suspect, a 16 year old boy, was arrested on the same street. A second suspect, a 19 year old man, was arrested in a nearby park. The third suspect, an 18 year old man, was arrested by the SWAT team on Paganinidreef, after he was shot in the leg by an officer. He was taken to the hospital. All three suspects are from Leiden.

The police used divers and sniffer dogs in the area to search for clues. The police investigation continues.

Local residents were stunned by the scene unfolding on their street on a Monday morning. "It's very bizarre. I came out of the shower and then I saw a helicopter. When I went outside the SWAT team just pulled up. It looked like kind of a 'live-film'", one resident told Omroep West.