Metro

Cops fatally shoot ‘armed thief’ in ATM heist

Police shot and killed an armed robber after he held up a man who had taken refuge from the cold inside a Bronx ATM vestibule, cops said.

A 24-year-old man was waiting for a bus inside the Chase Bank ATM vestibule in University Heights to keep out of the freezing cold weather when the crook came in with a gun and demanded cash at about 4 a.m., cops said.

The robber fled with about $80 and an iPhone. The victim flagged down a police car, cops said.

Police canvassed the area with the victim, who was able to spot the robber on the street, cops said.

Police chased the gunman to Davidson Avenue where one officer shot the man twice in the chest, police sources said.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the suspect fired at police, cops said.

The robber – who was 44 years old – was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, cops said.

Police found a loaded .380-caliber handgun at the scene.

The robber’s name hasn’t been released pending family notification, cops said.