Who knew what during bank robber chase?

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Dispatch tapes from both the Michigan State Police and the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department raise questions about the communication between agencies as bank robbers Kris Cheyne and Derryl LaFave left Ravenna and began their getaway on Oct. 13.

That getaway included a high-speed chase along I-96, the death of Walker police officer Trevor Slot and the deaths of Cheyne and LaFave in a shootout with police.

Target 8 compared the tapes between the state police and Ottawa County dispatchers.

On the tape, an Ottawa County deputy appears to know nothing about the FBI agents who were driving just ahead of the bank robbers' getaway car and toward Ottawa County. The county's first dispatch indicated the deputy had nothing to worry about.

Ottawa Dispatcher: "(Car) 420 bol (be on the lookout)...10:47 am...armed robbery just occurred in Ravenna. Left in black Blazer, northbound on south Ravenna Road. Two men with long guns."

The suspects' vehicle was heading north and away from Ottawa County.

But several minutes later, state police dispatch tapes show FBI agents were quickly onto the robbers. The agents were communicating with state police dispatchers.

The robbers were no longer headed north, but were going south toward Ottawa County - and had switched vehicles.

FBI agent: "We are southbound on Ravenna Road. We have the bank robbers behind us in a blue Bravada. We are traveling south towards Coopersville. We are just passing over Musketawa Trail."

FBI agents kept communicating with state police dispatchers, and state troopers were on their way.

FBI agent: "If you just start having your units, we'll keep updated on their location, and if we need a couple of marked units to slide in here and help us with the takedown please."

And here, apparently, is the communication gap.

Several minutes after the FBI first told the state police about the Bravada heading toward Coopersville, an Ottawa County deputy called in to his dispatcher. And he appeared to know nothing about the Bravada that was now going south on 56th Avenue, in Ottawa County.

Ottawa Deputy: "Any updates on Muskegon County? I've got two units southbound 56th."

Ottawa Dispatcher: "Stand by. ... (then) Believe they're southbound 56th from Wilson."

Ottawa Deputy: "Right, I'm behind them. Are they in pursuit? Are they behind that Bravada?"

Dispatcher: "75, 75, behind the Bravada."

FBI agent: "OK, we've got a marked unit from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department is passing us. ... OK state, you got 'em, I'm backing off."

That's about when the chase began, with the suspects later firing at pursuing police cars.

FBI officials initially told Target 8 their agents were in the general vicinity investigating the suspects for prior robberies when they happened to spot the getaway car -- before the robbery was reported.

Now, the FBI told Target 8 its agents actually heard the robbery called out and were already headed to the bank when they saw the suspects' vehicle leaving Ravenna.

Critics have questioned why the FBI didn't back off and try to arrest the suspects later, in a safer setting.

John King, the FBI resident-agent-in-charge told Target 8 that when his agents spotted the suspects' vehicle in the minutes after the robbery, they had a responsibility to notify Michigan State Police. It would have been "negligent" not to notify police of the vehicle and the danger it posed, King said.

"In this particular case, I think my agents were trying to bring a (safe) resolution," said King. "At least get these people stopped safely. That's why they were providing information to local police. And then when police tried to initiate a stop, the suspects took off."

At that point, King says the FBI had no jurisdiction to call the chase off.