Cop on coffee break chases holdup suspects

A well-timed coffee break led to the arrest of a Daly City bank robbery suspect just moments after the holdup.

Daly City police Sgt. David Mackriss, who was on duty and in plainclothes, had just gotten a cup of joe from a Starbucks and was planning on driving back to the station in his unmarked Chevrolet Malibu at about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday. That's when he spotted a Chevrolet Tahoe speed off from behind the US Bank at 95 Southgate Ave. The two men inside had hooded sweatshirts over their heads.

Unbeknownst to Mackriss, two masked gunmen had just robbed the bank. One of the robbers kept customers and employees at bay while the other leaped over the counter and stole money, police Lt. Jay Morena said.

Circle back to Mackriss, who followed the Tahoe as it ran red lights and made several abrupt turns in the Westlake neighborhood. The sergeant went on the police radio just as calls came in from the bank about the holdup.

Mackriss' info helped three police detectives, also in plainclothes, to spot the Tahoe near John Daly and Junipero Serra boulevards. Police followed the SUV to Beverly Street, where the passenger fled into a home.

Officers quickly found him hiding in a backyard, Morena said. The suspect's name wasn't released. The driver managed to escape, but San Francisco police later found the Tahoe, and Daly City police say they have promising leads.

Mackriss has been getting a lot of ribbing from fellow cops about his coffee-break caper. For his part, Mackriss said coverage of the story should "seriously downplay the coffee aspect."

On a serious note, Mackriss said the incident proves that "anytime you're on the streets, you really have to keep your eyes open and alert."

Mackriss did stay pretty alert through the whole thing. He confirmed that he didn't spill one drop of his coffee.