The Hermiston Liquor Store was busy on New Years Eve, but not because of business.

A bank robbery suspect was shot and killed there by Hermiston police Monday afternoon, soon after the suspect appeared to draw a semi-automatic handgun and point it at officers, according to Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus.

Primus would not comment on whether investigators determined the suspect was carrying an actual gun. He said he will disclose more information Thursday after the two officers whose names have not been released have been interviewed. The Umatilla County Sheriffs Office has yet to release the identity of the man who was killed.

The New Years Eve incident spanned multiple businesses in the area. At 3:24 p.m., Hermiston police were dispatched to Community Bank after a robbery took place there. Witnesses said the suspected bank robber left the bank, crossed Highway 395, walked through Fiesta Foods parking lot and entered Hermiston Liquor Store.

One witness, Maria Rodriguez, told the East Oregonian Monday that she saw money scattered around when she was getting groceries at Fiesta Food.

Primus said if that money was in the parking lot, it could potentially be connected to the robbery and shooting. He would not give further details.

Inside the liquor store, two Hermiston police officers attempted to contact the suspect, saw his alleged handgun and discharged five or less shots between them, according to Primus.

Hermiston Liquor Store owner Trudi Seadorf was organizing hundreds of liquor bottles on the floor Tuesday afternoon following the incident. The standoff, said Seadorf, left her with a lot of cleanup to do before opening Wednesday.

Seadorf said she would not comment on what she witnessed until after the investigation, but was grateful her employees were safe.

God was looking over the people at this liquor store, she said.

The suspect was transported to Good Shepherd Hospital following the shooting and died at approximately 7 p.m Monday.

Hermiston Police Department handed the investigation for both the bank robbery and officer-involved shooting over to the county sheriffs office. Umatilla County protocols dictate that agencies connected with officer-involved shootings distance themselves from the case.

It is second time in a less than a month police have shot a civilian in Umatilla County. During a Dec. 6 raid in Pendleton, officer Tyler Reddington shot and injured a suspect. A Umatilla County grand jury later found the shooting justified.?

Contact Natalie Wheeler at nwheeler@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536.