The “Wal-Mart Guy” That Made National News Was Shot at by Albany Cop

It's been buzzing the last couple of days that an Albany cop drew a gun and fired at a bank robbery suspect, in which that suspect had made national news when a local Wal-Mart fired him last year.Thomas Smith was fired from the East Greenbush Wal-Mart last year when he collected $2 in cans that customers left behind in the parking lot and shopping carts. National news outlets had picked up the story given its ridiculousness.

Now, a year later, he is the suspect in a bank robbery. The Albany police officer says that Smith was allegedly in his car, backing up towards him which is when he opened fire. No one was injured in the incident.

Thomas Smith has been on parole since 2002 for, get this, robbing the Key Bank in Latham. He had served 13 years of a 15 year sentence, but maybe, I'm just saying, he didn't learn his lesson?

The incident caused fear throughout the immediate neighborhood, as well as a near by elementary school on Wednesday. While Smith has not officially been charged with any involvement in the bank robbery, he is being held in custody for a parole violation.