Update: Man identified after attempted downtown Kennewick bank robbery
A 30-year-old man was arrested after a robbery at the Key Bank in downtown Kennewick.
The suspected robber, Christopher Blakely, walked into the bank on Kennewick Avenue wearing a dark hoodie and demanded cash from the teller around noon on Wednesday, Kennewick police Commander Ryan Kelly told the Tri-City Herald.
The suspect told the teller he was armed.
Another employee in the bank called 911 and alerted police. When he spotted police surrounding the building, Blakely ran, Kelly said. He didn’t get any cash.
The suspect made it about three blocks before a homeowner stepped in and helped catch him at 18 West Third Avenue.
There were no reported injuries.
Blakely was taken to the Benton County jail on charges related to the robbery.
This is the second time in two days that Blakely has ended up in jail. He was arrested with a cart full of stolen merchandise on Monday, April 20.
Police responded to a report of a man passed out in a bush near West Okanogan Street and North Colorado Street next to Target, Kennewick police said in a Facebook post. When they arrived, officers found Blakely awake. He said he didn’t want any help from officers.
Blakely had a shopping cart from Target with $1,200 in merchandise inside of it.
“Christopher’s excuse what that he did not know what he was doing since it was 4/20,” Kennewick police said in a Facebook post.
April 20 is a counterculture holiday celebrating consuming cannabis and pushing for its legalization. But Kennewick police said drug use is not an excuse to steal items.
“I hope all of our Kennewick residents understand that just because you are under the influence or it is a specific date, it does not give anyone the right to steal others’ property,” the department said in a Facebook post.
He was released on his own recognizance on Tuesday.
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 12:44 PM.