Five Tucson Police Officers shot and killed suspected bank robber Santiago Avila at the Wells Fargo Bank located at 145 E. 22nd St. on Friday, April 18.

Here is the official press release from TPD:

On April 17, 2014 at 1:37 p.m., officers from Operations Division Downtown responded to a report of an armed robbery in progress at the Wells Fargo Bank located at 145 East 22nd Street. An employee advised 911 that the bank was being robbed, the suspect was still inside and he was armed with a handgun. The employee was able to give a description of the suspect as officers were responding. As officers arrived, a suspect matching the description given over the radio exited the front door of the bank armed with a handgun. He immediately went back inside but came back out about one minute later. Officers gave him multiple commands to stop and drop the weapon. The suspect failed to comply with the officer’s orders and walked to a blue Jeep Cherokee parked in front of the bank. The suspect opened the door to the vehicle and retrieved a box of ammunition from inside of it. He then began to walk back towards the front door of the bank with a handgun in one hand and a box of ammunition in the other. Officers continued to give verbal commands for the suspect to stop and drop the weapon, however he did not comply and continued walking towards the front door of the business. Realizing the danger of an armed robbery suspect re-entering the bank and fearing for the safety of the citizens inside, the officers discharged their weapons, striking the suspect. Officers immediately began to render first aid until the arrival of the Tucson Fire Department. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. Neither the officers nor the 16 citizens inside the bank were injured during the incident.

Detectives from the Homicide, Aggravated Assault and Robbery Units responded to continue the investigation. They examined physical evidence at the scene and interviewed the officers involved as well as over 20 witnesses. The identity of the suspect was confirmed, however his name is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. Detectives are identifying him as a 35-year old male with associations to both Tucson and California. They also discovered that the suspect had an active felony warrant out of California for Assault on a Peace Officer and Escape. Detectives confirmed the blue Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot belonged to the suspect.

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Munenori Kawasaki is a renaissance man. The 32-year-old Japanese professional baseball player is learning English and Spanish, so what better time to practice than a pre-game interview? Kawasaki talked about the weather, practicing English with his teammates and how exciting it is to play for the Blue Jays instead of slumming it with Triple-A Buffalo squad.

There’s a lot of changing of the guard going on in Tucson right now; some for the better, and some for the worse. Crossroads cinema, 4811 E. Grant Rd., is not exempt. On Sunday, April 20, the theater is closing their doors. After much revamping, Roadhouse Cinemas will open this fall at that spot. Remember folks, watching a movie and drinking a beer is hardly a negative notion. Thanks for all the movies, Crossroads.

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should See High Fidelity This Weekend At The Loft Cinema.

5.Because it features Tim Robbins as a hilarious, ponytail wearing, tantric sex having, new-age “Supertramp fan.”
4.This was before John Cusack started making largely forgettable movies.
3.This was the peak of Jack Black’s now tiresome schtick.
2.It pretty much sums up what it was like working at a record store, warts and all. Plus, Record Store Day is tomorrow. Do your duty.
1.If you’ve ever been unlucky in love and you’re obsessed with pop culture, you’ll be able to relate in either a minor or major fashion.

Check out High Fidelity tonight and Saturday, April 19 at 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $6, $5 for Loft members.

On Wednesday, April 23, the Loft presents Romeo & Juliet, the 1968 adaption of Shakespeare’s tale of two star-crossed lovers directed by Franco Zeffirelli. This version stars Leonard Whiting and doe-eyed Olivia Hussey as the title characters, plus a great performance from Michael York as the hot-tempered Tybalt. Dig the Nino Rota score, as well. You can catch this at 7 p.m. Tickets are regular admission, and more information can be found at loftcinema.com.

The Fox Theatre is playing Buster Keaton’s 1926 silent film The General on Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. It’s not just a regular screening—Tucson’s own ChamberLab is providing a live original soundtrack. I look forward to seeing what they do with the bridge sequence. Tickets are a paltry $10, and doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The Tucson Contemporary Women's Art Collective is highlighting 20 local professional female artists and their work will be on display until Friday, May 16, at Thunder Canyon Brewery 220 E Broadway. There will be a special reception at Thunder Canyon from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 19.

Our goal is to amplify each woman’s unique voice to resonate within the arts community and ignite a new conversation reaching beyond the surface level façade of the mass media’s mind controlling perception of female identity, beauty, and gender roles. We believe that change begins with action and hope that our collective can build the momentum which inspires such change through creation and activism.

Here’s a list of the participating artist from Tucson:

Devin Inglee
Holly Ives
Jamie Woodard
Jen Wilson
Jessica Gonzales
Kathryn Polk
Kathy Keler
Kati Astraeir
Katy May Goodson
Lauren Raine
Mary Griffin
Marcy Miranda Janes-de Quintanilla
Mary Theresa Dietz
Monique Laraway
Nicole Welch
Tanya Rich
Tracy Brown
Sara Roche
Sharon Isabel Curley
Yu Yu Shiratori

Yesterday, we ran an interview with author Junot Díaz, who'll be at the Fox Theatre from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23. This was made possible thanks to the Tucson Pima Arts Council and Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry. $15 suggested donation or $25 VIP reception and reserved seating.

And yes, we're going to be obnoxious every day for the next week, because Junot Díaz is coming to town.

Immigration reform activists Naira Zapata and Jose Valdez and UA student Cynthia Diaz were part of the first round of Washington, DC hunger strikers calling to end deportations and for immigration reform. They're part of the strike ended last weekend after fasting for five days, no food and drinking only water. However, the DRM Action Coalition and the National Day Labor Organizing Network announced today that the strike continues with new activists fasting in front of the White House.

From Diaz via MSN:

That’s why I came to Washington, DC with other families whose loved ones are in detention and seek their freedom, here in the United States. We began a hunger strike in front of the White House on April 5, sitting virtually on President Obama’s front steps to call for the president to take executive action, and to make our private suffering public. It’s sad to think that immigrant lives might matter so little that we have to endanger our health for people to recognize the problem.

Each night that I went to sleep here in front of the White House, I heard those same words we were told when we met a lawyer for the first time: you’re too old to need your mother. I wonder, as the president and First Lady Michelle Obama look in on their own kids—who are nearly the same age as my brother and I were when ICE raided our home—if they could ever imagine someone telling them they, as parents, aren’t needed any more. If it wasn’t clear enough to the courts, to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, or to the White House.

I’m like any other daughter. I need my mom. She’s a brave woman, and she deserves to be released to reunite with our family.

Want to help with the strike? National Day Labor Organizing Network's NotOneMoreDeportation.com just released a list of five ideas to get you started: