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They had very little time to determine whether Wells' claim that someone else put it on him was true. Letting a guy who just robbed a bank and claims to have a bomb attached to him, go off wherever he says he has to go to lead police back to the "real perp", doesn't sound like good police practice. The real perp started out in a "remote location", such that he would almost certainly have been able to keep out of sight until he wanted to be seen -- and he would only have wanted to be seen if Wells was clearly alone and displaying the money. If Wells showed up with police in tow (and no, the police weren't going to let the bank robber with a bomb out of their sight), perp would stay out of sight 'til the bomb went off, then make his escape during the confusion.

The whole thing stinks, and the only lesson to be learned is that NO ONE should be making deliveries to unknown customers and/or locations without exercising his/her RKBA.

I agree this was a tough situation for the police. But several of my suggestions just required asking the guy some question. Heck give him a cell and talk to him while you are protecting yourself from the bomb.

The questions I suggested would have helped the police with the case after the bomb went off. Again:

1. Who put the bomb on you?

2. Whether you know who or not, how were you to deliver the money to them?

3. Where, ie in what location, did they put the bomb on you?

4. Being a human being telling the guy that the bomb squad is on the way and to hang in there.

Even if he was some nut bank robber, there was no harm in reassuring him that you had called the bomb squad. And there was information to be learned about this crime while he was alive.