Friday, March 19, 2010
Hero sues bank
Richard Camp, 39, is a general contractor in Long Beach, CA. He has been a customer at Farmers and Merchants Bank for nine years. He was in the bank when it was robbed. Camp stepped up and tackled the armed robber. In the process he took a bullet in the thigh and a woman was also shot.
Camp expected the bank to pay him a reward. He thought they would at least pay his medical bills. His wife has insurance that covers him, but he felt the bank should do more. He is unable to work while he recovers from his injury. But the bank has not stepped up and is now being sued. He believes the bank was negligent and has failed to provide a safe environment for customers.
Many thoughts go through my mind and I wonder what may have happened had the theft been allowed to proceed? Would anyone have been shot, would the police have apprehended the robber, would the cash have been recovered, with insurance - what would the bank have really lost had the thief gotten away? One thing I do know is that banks do not want customers to put themselves in harms way to be heroes. Many banks do not want armed guards for this same reason.
Richard Camp, 39, is a general contractor in Long Beach, CA. He has been a customer at Farmers and Merchants Bank for nine years. He was in the bank when it was robbed. Camp stepped up and tackled the armed robber. In the process he took a bullet in the thigh and a woman was also shot.
Camp expected the bank to pay him a reward. He thought they would at least pay his medical bills. His wife has insurance that covers him, but he felt the bank should do more. He is unable to work while he recovers from his injury. But the bank has not stepped up and is now being sued. He believes the bank was negligent and has failed to provide a safe environment for customers.
Many thoughts go through my mind and I wonder what may have happened had the theft been allowed to proceed? Would anyone have been shot, would the police have apprehended the robber, would the cash have been recovered, with insurance - what would the bank have really lost had the thief gotten away? One thing I do know is that banks do not want customers to put themselves in harms way to be heroes. Many banks do not want armed guards for this same reason.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
No luck of the Irish for this bank robber
We often get nervous around Halloween because costumes that conceal a bank robbers identity are more common. We saw a Santa Clause last year. And on March 17th, Saint Patrick's Day, we saw our first leprechaun. The accounts tell us a man wearing a green top hat, vest, shorts and a fake brown beard and wig went into a Fifth Third branch near Nashville, TN. The manager had seen him. He looked at the crowded lobby, then at his watch and he left.
He and his fellow robber then went to the Gallatin branch of the First State Bank, which is a suburb of Nashville. Using a large caliber handgun they robbed the bank and used a car for their getaway. They fired at one police car, disabling it. When they reached a field they abandoned their car and attempted to get away on foot. They fired on the police again. Both robbers were killed. No police officers were injured. The money was recovered.There is no pot of gold or rainbow in this story, but we're happy no bank employees, customers or law enforcement officers were injured.
We often get nervous around Halloween because costumes that conceal a bank robbers identity are more common. We saw a Santa Clause last year. And on March 17th, Saint Patrick's Day, we saw our first leprechaun. The accounts tell us a man wearing a green top hat, vest, shorts and a fake brown beard and wig went into a Fifth Third branch near Nashville, TN. The manager had seen him. He looked at the crowded lobby, then at his watch and he left.
He and his fellow robber then went to the Gallatin branch of the First State Bank, which is a suburb of Nashville. Using a large caliber handgun they robbed the bank and used a car for their getaway. They fired at one police car, disabling it. When they reached a field they abandoned their car and attempted to get away on foot. They fired on the police again. Both robbers were killed. No police officers were injured. The money was recovered.There is no pot of gold or rainbow in this story, but we're happy no bank employees, customers or law enforcement officers were injured.
