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SALT LAKE CITY -- A notorious Utah bank robber from the 1980s is back in jail one day after getting out of federal prison.
New York City police arrested John Daniel Stolarz Thursday after a botched robbery at the Chase Bank right next to Madison Square Garden. Uniformed officers followed him as he fled without any money.
Pedestrians in the busy neighborhood were ducking for cover.
"‘If that's not a gunshot, it sure sounds like one,' [I thought]. So I got behind a truck, looked over, saw the officers surrounding the suspect," a witness said.
Police shot Stolarz in the leg after he refused to drop a knife.
Stolarz, who had just been released from federal prison Wednesday after serving 21 years, told police he "understands why they fired."
Back in May of 1988, police arrested Stolarz at gunpoint on Salt Lake City's Main Street. He had robbed a Zions Bank and a Citibank on the same day and got away with a lot of money. He used a fake bomb in the robberies.
Stolarz earned the nickname "Johnny Shades" because he always wore sunglasses during his robberies.
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Story written with contributions from The Associated Press.
