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Seattle police have arrested a man they’ve been calling the “Jimmy Buffett Bandit” since he robbed a bank in September sporting a thick mustache, pony tail and Hawaiian shirt. The 44-year-old man was caught Thursday evening around 5:30 p.m. when trying to rob a US Bank near Westlake Avenue and 8th Avenue North, according to the Seattle Police Department. This time he was wearing a ski mask and threatened to shoot the bank clerk from whom he’d demanded cash. As the bank clerk handed money over to the suspect, a security guard sneaked behind him and knocked the gun — which turned out to be fake — out of his hand. The suspect and security guard wrestled on the floor until the guard overpowered him. When police arrived, the guard had the man pinned down on a floor strewn with cash, according to the department. Robbery detectives believe the man arrested Thursday night is the same man who has committed at least nine robberies in Seattle, Bellevue, Covington, Kirkland and Lacey since September. “Margaritas will be hard to come by where he’s going,” wrote Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on SPD’s online blotter.
That security guard is a good buddy of mine. He is one of those "prestige" guards - phony guards that are there only for presence, to make bank look guarded. None in his job description tells him or allows him to apprehend a robber, esp armed one (no one knew his gun was fake; besides, when he had him down on the floor, robber was still trying to reach and grab it).
So my buddy is freaking out now. On one hand, he did right thing; on the other, he fears, he can get fired or even sued. Man worked at that place for ten years and is making $12 an hour. It's his last chance job, he's 55.
Your friend is a hero. He displayed courage and took a risk when he could have chosen the easy option by curling up in a ball and submitting. If anyone is a loser in this instance, it's the scum that commit multiple robberies.
Whether he gets fired or not may depend on the company policy. If there is a strict 'no engagement' policy, then he may be out. Unfortunate, but that's the way it is. It's an understandable policy, because letting a guy walk out with a few thousand bucks is preferable to having bullets sprayed around that might kill people. I couldn't see a scenario in this case in which he would get sued, as no harm was done.
I'd suggest he make friends on the police force. There is typically a call for off-duty police and other security personnel. He could get a replacement job thrown his way by the duty officer in charge of such stuff.
Seattle police have arrested a man they’ve been calling the “Jimmy Buffett Bandit” since he robbed a bank in September sporting a thick mustache, pony tail and Hawaiian shirt. The 44-year-old man was caught Thursday evening around 5:30 p.m. when trying to rob a US Bank near Westlake Avenue and 8th Avenue North, according to the Seattle Police Department. This time he was wearing a ski mask and threatened to shoot the bank clerk from whom he’d demanded cash. As the bank clerk handed money over to the suspect, a security guard sneaked behind him and knocked the gun — which turned out to be fake — out of his hand. The suspect and security guard wrestled on the floor until the guard overpowered him. When police arrived, the guard had the man pinned down on a floor strewn with cash, according to the department. Robbery detectives believe the man arrested Thursday night is the same man who has committed at least nine robberies in Seattle, Bellevue, Covington, Kirkland and Lacey since September. “Margaritas will be hard to come by where he’s going,” wrote Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on SPD’s online blotter.
That security guard is a good buddy of mine. He is one of those "prestige" guards - phony guards that are there only for presence, to make bank look guarded. None in his job description tells him or allows him to apprehend a robber, esp armed one (no one knew his gun was fake; besides, when he had him down on the floor, robber was still trying to reach and grab it).
So my buddy is freaking out now. On one hand, he did right thing; on the other, he fears, he can get fired or even sued. Man worked at that place for ten years and is making $12 an hour. It's his last chance job, he's 55.
What say you? Hero or loser?
I would not call your friend a loser however his choice was very poor. I mean this was a bank's money not like he was saving someones life. He should not risk his own life so I bank can keep more of it's money.
I would not call your friend a loser however his choice was very poor. I mean this was a bank's money not like he was saving someones life. He should not risk his own life so I bank can keep more of it's money.
How was he not saving someone's life? A robber had a loaded weapon pointed at a bank teller's face. That's the issue here, not the bank's money.
I can respect him for what he did however he should have just been a good witness. Knocking the gun out of the robbers hand put everyone in the bank at risk. He did not know it was a fake and had it been real and discharged during the struggle someone might have been killed.
I would not call him a "loser", he just went above and beyond what he was expected to do and might lose his job over it. I probably would have done the same thing were I in hos shoes and saw an opportunity to intervene.
He is not a loser. The guy just sounds reckless. most banks, large department stores, and places handling cash have a policy to comply with the demands of a robber. the exception to this are small business owned by individuals.
it's reckless to engage a bank robber in a wrestling match while he appears to be visibly armed. sure it's possible the robber would open fire for the hell of it, but aggravating the situation and putting lives at risk is reckless. in fact, if you look through Bank robberies, it's quite rare for the suspects to randomly start shooting. Small business is different though.
the guy's a hero just because what he did was above and beyond, but he's also reckless ninny and probably justified in being dismissed.
Op, the robber is a suspect in 9 other robberies and it took a 55 yr. old security guard to finally help catch this guy? i would give this guy a medal and a full-time job to guard my belongings!
I would not call your friend a loser however his choice was very poor. I mean this was a bank's money not like he was saving someones life. He should not risk his own life so I bank can keep more of it's money.
LOSER AS IN "LOSE" THE JOB. yES, SHOULD HAVE MARKED IT. GUY DEFINITELY DID THE RIGHT THING, BUT... oops, sorry, caps..
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