A bank robbery at the Fleet Bank on Sunrise Highway on Monday turned into a fatal shooting when a retired New York City police officer who was in the bank followed the robber.

According to Nassau County Police, a white male entered the Fleet Bank and produced what appeared to be a black pistol and announced a robbery. At the time there were five employees and approximately five customers in the bank. One of the customers was 65-year-old retired New York City Police Officer Emil Florie, of Massapequa Park.

Lt. Kevin Caslin, of the Nassau County Police the robber stated that who has yet to be identified, called a Long Island Yellow Cab in Massapequa to be taken to Queens. The Massapequa branch of the cab company does not go to Queens and transferred him over to the Levittown branch. When the cab arrived at the Exxon Gas Station, across from the bank, the robber told the driver he would be right back and proceeded into the bank to commit the robbery. He then ran out of the bank, into the cab, followed by Florie.

Before the cab could leave Florie told the robber to get out of the car and drop the gun, that he was under arrest. The robber got out of the car and pointed the gun, which the police later discovered was a toy gun, at Florie, who shot the suspect.

According to Caslin, when the first shot was fired the cab driver "wisely" decided to leave the vehicle. After being shot the robber got into the driver's seat and drove off. He proceeded to drive about 100 yards on Unqua Road before he struck a tree on the corner of Burton Lane.

The suspect was then transported to Brunswick Hospital via Nassau Ambulance. At Brunswick Hospital he was pronounced dead by a staff physician.

Although Caslin noted that the crash was very serious, setting off the airbags, the Nassau County Medical Examiner has determined that the suspect died of the gunshot wounds to his left forearm and torso.

Florie had a permit to carry a concealed weapon but the district attorney's office reviews all fatal shootings. The DA's office has since determined that Florie did nothing wrong and, pending final reports, there are no plans to put the case before the grand jury. Ed Grilli, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, stated, "Every indication from our review of the incident shows that he acted heroically."

According to Caslin the police only found out on Tuesday that the gun was fake because, "We thought it was but hadn't picked it up and touched it. It was in the car so we didn't want to move anything until they finished processing." Caslin added that there was a second toy gun found in the robber's bag that he had brought with him.

Stephen Edmondson, from the Nassau County Park Rangers PBA, who is a candidate for County Legislature in the 5th district, has called Peter King's office suggesting that Florie be given an citation for his actions. "I think that the man should be given an award. I don't know if the police commissioner wants to give him one or Tom Gulotta. The man got involved, a former, retired police officer of New York City and everybody's going around saying guns are bad and this guy has a legal gun permit and he did what he had to do."

When asked about the robbery, Allison Gibbs, a representative for Fleet Bank responded, "Unfortunately, it's bank policy not to comment on robberies."