Shocking moment armed robber opens fire on police in broad daylight in front of terrified civilians minutes before they shoot him dead

Dramatic footage captured the moment an armed robber and policemen in Baltimore County engaged in a shootout which ended in the criminal's death. Scenes from the recording played out like scenes from an action movie as the criminal unloaded a pair of twin handguns on police and they returned fire.

A lot of civilians were trapped in the shootout and had to take cover behind parked vehicles. Witness Steve Outlaw, who uploaded the video to Facebook, said he had been on the bus before the robber got on board and police ordered everyone off - which was when violence erupted. The armed robber had expected it to be a smooth robbery operation - rob and get away before the cops arrive - but police caught up to him after he robbed two people in the Logan Village Shopping Center at 2.49pm. He can be seen in the video trying to flee on the No. 10 MTA bus but police stopped the bus on Dundalk Avenue at around 3 pm.

Schools in the area were just closing at about that time and the man opened fire on them. The suspect can be seen in the footage leaning out of the front and rear doors on the bus, firing in both directions. Civilians were heard screaming as cops returned fire, punching holes in the windows. The criminal then ran to hide behind a white van behind which two other scared civilians were hiding. One of them braved it and ran away but the other remained flat on the floor while the gun battle raged on. Minutes later, police shot the criminal dead. The shooting also left one female police officer in critical condition and a civilian injured. The identity of the criminal and both victims are yet to be revealed.

Below is the dramatic footage.