Pair disarms police officer during Cocke County bank robbery (TN)

Knoxville News-Sentinel ^ | December 26, 2012 | Hayes HIckman

[deoetdoctrinae]

Two suspects, one armed with an "assault-type rifle," robbed a Cocke County bank and disarmed a responding police officer at gunpoint before making their escape this afternoon, authorities said.

The robbery was reported about 3 p.m. at the Tennessee State Bank, 107 Epley Road, in Newport, according to Marshall Stone, supervisory agent with the FBI's Knoxville division.

A nearby Newport Police Department officer was the first to respond to the holdup alarm, entering the bank while both suspects, dressed in black, still were inside, said Newport Police Chief Maurice Shults.

[deoetdoctrinae]

From the info currently available, it sounds like upon entering the bank, the officer saw he was out-gunned, and made a smart decision not to force a confrontation inside the bank where a gun fight could very well have resulted in a number of civilian injuries or even possibly fatalities.

[Nervous Tick]

This sort of thing wouldn't happen if assault rifles were banned.

do i really need that /s tag?

[JRandomFreeper]

In other words, 'knowing that his range time had been pencil whipped for the last 5 years, and realizing he didn't have enough SA to not go in alone, and having the drop gotten on him, he surrendered his weapon'.

Monday morning quarterbacking goes both ways.

However it works out, I'm glad no-one got hurt, and I hope the LEO gets to find other opportunities for employment.

/johnny

[deoetdoctrinae]

Yep, giving up his weapon was definitely not good. With a standard 15 round mag in the Glock 31, the officer should have had at least 45 rounds on him. Once they followed him outside, unless civilians were in the line of fire, seems to me he should have been putting rounds on the targets.

Course, once again, I am Monday morning quarterbacking. Like you, I'm just glad nobody was hurt.

[Edison]

I was in a bank in San Diego one morning during a robbery by note. 5 minutes later the police arrived. When they interviewed me I asked what took so long and was informed they don’t want a hostage situation so they hang back to give the perp time to get out of the building. LOL, the teller slipped him a dye pack and he dumped the money a block away.

[SargeK]

Very bad procedure to walk into the bank premises. The LEO is lucky to be alive. There should be prearranged codes to give the “all clear” and the branch manager should meet the police outside.

Sleep walking through the job gets you dead. Lack of planning, training and and complacency here. Fortunately the robbers were more professional than the police and had such a superior tactical position that they didn’t have to shoot.

Time to find another career, officer.

[cva66snipe]

If they got on the second Newport entrance IIRC there is one-two more exits from there to the top of the mountain. Hartford, TN and Waterville, NC. Waterville puts them in Cherokee National Forest.

KNS no doubt with it's liberal slant on firearms will make the most of this event in their pro gun control {cough cough or as they say we need to have a national discussion type of editorial opinions}.

The officer under the circumstances reported used good judgment with a two on one situation. Getting the perps out of the bank and into a situation where hostages were not an issue would be priority. I am also guessing the officer thought that back up was closer in than they were. Newport I'm guessing might have 3 patrolman per shift. It's not a real big town.

Looking at the perps pictures full size I'd check out suspected cooking areas meaning Cherokee and adjoining National Forest accessible from the Waterville end..

[fella]

There's no amount of money in any bank that's worth dying for to protect for some absentee bank CEO. That's a smart cop. On the other hand that CEO has robbed more money than all the bank robbers put together and did it with a pen.

[TexasTransplant]

***** “However it works out, I’m glad no-one got hurt, and I hope the LEO gets to find other opportunities for employment.”****

If nothing else he now knows what it feels like to be disarmed. (I will bet he doesn’t like that feeling)

TT

[JRandomFreeper]

The cops are supposed to be there to protect the people in the location of the robbery. The money is secondary, but protection of property is also their function. In theory.

As it turns out, they aren't that good at job a or b. They do take reports well.

You seem to have a chip on your shoulder about CEOs. Don't let your hatred of free markets blind you to the facts about LEOs.

/johnny

[cva66snipe]

There's no telling how often the alarm goes off. Offiecers are required to respond even if it goes off a dozen times a week.

If the perps were coming out of the bank that would place the cop between bank and street. Thus criminals shooting into traffic and other buildings. Cop would be shooting likely into bank not knowing his target area behind the perps. If cop was behind cruiser door cop would be in parking lot with road behind him and in the perps line of fire. Keep in mind the road likely had traffic. There is also a local highway near there and by the address number this would be very near it. The last thing needed would before perps to go back in the bank.

If these guys are from Cocke, Jefferson, Greene, or Haywood county they'll be caught soon enough just on recognition. The entire county population stands at about 35K.

I just pulled up the banks address. It's on the far end of town likely an annexed strip I'm guessing as most of Newport has always been on the other side of the interstate from the banks location. The police department and sheriffs department are on the other end of town. Help would take a few minutes to get there.

[cva66snipe]

Back in 1982 two brothers {bankers} from East Tennessee took a bunch of peoples money including taxpayers in two major failures. One was CEO of United American Bank, the other was CEO of Southern Industrial Banking Corporation and uninsured S&L. Everyone trusted the two brothers. One of the brothers was also a DEM Candidate for governor at one point. People in SIBC lost entire life savings. The failures stemmed from greed and failed banking ventures or in paper only companies where loans were taken out many were related to the 1982 Worlds Fair.

[JRandomFreeper]

What in the wide, wide world of sports does 2 crooked brothers from 30 years ago have to do with law enforcement protecting people and property today?

/johnny

[Oztrich Boy]

He should have just taken the gun away from them.

[JRandomFreeper]

That's funny right there, I don't care who you are.

/johnny

[cva66snipe]

What in the wide, wide world of sports does 2 crooked brothers from 30 years ago have to do with law enforcement protecting people and property today?

It was concerning your post 10 comment and you post to "fella' about bank CEO's. Newport is in East Tennessee. It wasn't no small bank failure it was one of the worse in the nation at that time since The Great Depression and the two brothers ended up in prison.

[98ZJ USMC]

From the info currently available, it sounds like upon entering the bank, the officer saw he was out-gunned, and made a smart decision not to force a confrontation inside the bank where a gun fight could very well have resulted in a number of civilian injuries or even possibly fatalities.

Wholeheartedly agree. No reason for a TV gunfight when you've been dropped on.