Arlington police identified the officer who fired upon a gun-wielding bank robbery suspect as a decorated five-year veteran of the department.

Last Friday, Officer Michael Foley drew his service weapon and fired upon a pair of suspected bank robbers who held up a Leader Bank branch in East Arlington and brandished a gun at pursuing officers, police said.

Foley hit one of the suspects, James P. Riley of Quincy, who remains hospitalized for his injuries, though stable. Foley was placed on administrative duties while the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office investigates the shooting, which Police Chief Frederick Ryan stressed was a routine procedure in matters like this.

"Officer Foley, in fear for his safety and the safety of his fellow officers, acted bravely when he faced down a dangerous felon on Friday afternoon," Ryan said in a statement. "I am proud of him, acknowledging the difficulty that goes into making such a split-second decision."

The other suspect in Friday’s bank robbery, Shawn T. Bambushew of Everett, was scheduled for arraignment this morning in Cambridge District Court. Both men were charged with bank robbery, assault by means of a dangerous weapon and failure to stop for a police officer, and other charges may still be pending.

The department has previously recognized Foley for his work on at least two other occasions. In 2009, he was part of a team of officers that arrested an armed man who was threatening his neighbors with a handgun. Last year, Foley tracked down a reckless motorcyclist who had eluded several police departments over several weeks, police said in a statement.