Bearded bank robber throws cash in air and yells ‘Merry Christmas’ in US

David Wayne Oliver, 65, was arrested at a nearby Starbucks coffee shop in Colorado Springs

A handout booking photo made available by the Colorado Springs Police Department shows David Wayne Oliver, who was arrested by police officers after allegedly robbing a bank on 24 December 2019. EPA

A man with a white beard was being held on $10,000 bond for robbing a Colorado bank and throwing the stolen cash into the air while shouting “Merry Christmas” to passersby, police and local media reported on Tuesday.

David Wayne Oliver, 65, was arrested at a nearby Starbucks coffee shop after he held up the Academy Bank in Colorado Springs on Monday afternoon, a police report said.

Police said the suspect had “threatened the use of a weapon” and left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Colorado Springs television station KKTV reported that eyewitness Dion Pascale recounted Oliver stepped outside the bank and tossed banknotes “all over the place.”

“He started throwing money out of the bag” before yelling “Merry Christmas,” the TV station quoted Mr Pascale as saying.

Mr Pascale said bystanders retrieved some of the money and returned it to the bank as Oliver walked to the Starbucks, sat down and appeared to wait for police to arrest him, KKTV reported.

The Denver Post quoted police as saying "thousands of dollars" remained unaccounted for, saying there was no indication Oliver used a weapon in the heist.

Oliver, pictured in police mug shots with grey-and-white hair and a full white beard, is being held at El Paso County jail and is set to make his first court appearance on Thursday, prison records showed. It was not clear from the records if he has a lawyer.