That man, 31-year-old Dwayne Tribbett of Woodbury, had been rushed to the hospital after the incident on Monday morning. Tribbett had several prior run-ins with the law. In fact, just last week, he was named a suspect in a Deptford bank robbery.
Another man involved, 21-year-old Dorelle Wallace, of Stratford, is in custody and facing a number of charges. He is being held on $440,000 bail at the Camden County Jail.
It all began with a hold-up at a check cashing store in Stratford around 9:00 a.m.
"Two men, armed with weapons, attempted to hold up an employee as she opened the store, put a gun to her head and led her into the store. They attempted to rob the business but didn't get any cash," said Jason Laughlin of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.
The safe at the check cashing store wouldn't open so, authorities say, the empty-handed pair jumped into stolen Jeep and fled down White Horse Pike as the store clerk called 911.
A Lindenwold police officer spotted the vehicle driving on Coolidge Avenue and attempted to pull the Jeep over. After a short pursuit the men stopped the vehicle near the Bishop Court Apartments and jumped out.
Tribbett, police say, smashed through the patio door of an unoccupied apartment at the Bishop Court Apartment Complex.
From inside he allegedly taunted police with his gun.
"He holes up in there for a period of several minutes, intermittently coming outside, showing his weapon, telling officers he wouldn't be taken alive," said Laughlin.
Tribbett refused repeated orders to drop his weapon and surrender, the Prosecutor's Office said, so a Lindenwold police officer shot Tribbett in the chest. "We heard the police guys asking him to drop his weapon and give himself up," said a resident who did not want to be identified. "He kept hollering 'No, no no."
Tribbett was rushed to Cooper University Hospital by helicopter where he later died.
Wallace was arrested at a PATCO train station after an extensive search.
Tribbett and Wallace were both wanted in connection with a June 15 robbery in Pennsauken. In that incident it is alleged they and another man, Edward Bettis, entered "Joe the Jeweler" on the 5600 block of Route 38 about 7:15 p.m., tied up the people inside and robbed the store.
Bettis is in custody in connection with that incident, but police had been looking for Tribbett and Wallace.
