From ClickOnDetroit.com:
A 39-year-old Ypsilanti man used his concealed weapon and his experience in the Lebanese army to stop an alleged bank robber.
Police say a 54-year-old Joseph Webster of Washtenaw County attempted to rob a bank in Canton on Monday but his plans were foiled by Nabil Fawzi.
Webster walked into the Comerica Bank at 45420 Michigan Ave. and handed the bank teller a note, which read, “I have a bomb strapped around my waist. No dye packs.”
Canton police Detective Richard Pomorski said the teller activated the bank’s silent alarm and began to put $1 bills into a bag.
Another teller realized what was happening and informed Fawzi, who was the customer she was serving, about the robbery.
“I asked her is everything all right. They looked confused. She told me we might be getting robbed,” said Fawzi.
Police said the Fawzi then turned toward the suspect, pulled out a concealed handgun and pointed it at the suspect.
“I said, ‘You’re not going to rob this bank today.’ He said, ‘I have a bomb,’” said Fawzi. “I said ‘I don’t care. You’re not going to rob this bank today.”
Fawzi then escorted the suspect at gunpoint over to a chair where he was cornered until police arrived.
Police said he had a concealed weapons permit and the suspect did not have a bomb.
No injuries were reported.
Webster is charged with attempted bank robbery.
But how can this be? Doesn’t this Mere Mortal Citizen™ understand that he has no right to carry a Lethal Firearm into a bank? Don’t most banks have those terrible “No Guns” signs on their doors? And aren’t most banks “Gun Free Zones”?
No, most bank managers would rather us of the Great Unwashed not bring our lawful firearms into their banks. They would much rather the criminal be able to come in and steal all the money they want. And maybe the silent alarm would have summoned a cop that was only a block away, thereby creating either a shootout or a hostage situation, that way more civilians could have died. Or maybe the bank employed a Rent-A-Cop, someone that would have gotten the robber’s attention just long enough to get himself killed. Or maybe the criminal has a deathwish and wanted to make sure there were no witnesses and killed everyone.
But for goodness sake, please don’t allow law-abiding citizens to bring their legal firearms into a bank. Someone might accidentally stop a crime.
I need a drink.
Joseph Webster, Nabil Fawzi, Comerica Bank
