Armed customer tries to stop bank robber

I agree with the police on this one

A bank customer tried to stop a fleeing armed robber in the Buffalo, N.Y., area, running after the man and firing his own weapon, police said
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The robber escaped, while the customer spent a brief time in custody after police got to the scene.
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...officers questioned his common sense.
"Although the law might say that shooting at an armed fleeing felon, in some cases, is justified, it might not be the wise thing to do," police Capt. Stephen J. McGonagle said. "If the suspect is fleeing, and nobody's life is in immediate danger, sometimes you have to use discretion and let the robber get away."

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Now if the customer had shot the robber in commission of the crime, that'd be OK.
But seriously - chasing after the robber? You're not a cop!!!
I do wonder why he was in custody. Maybe none of the employees or other customers told the police right away that he wasn't the robber?

Chasing after an armed man who has just stolen insured money from a bank is definitely not high on my list of things to do. If its my money, and its alot of money, I might be a little more inclined to try and retrieve it.

MK said:

Chasing after an armed man who has just stolen insured money from a bank is definitely not high on my list of things to do. If its my money, and its alot of money, I might be a little more inclined to try and retrieve it.

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Just asking what is a lot of money to you? Because $100 is a lot to me (student). I guess $100 is not worth shooting over, but if that is what you get for food budget for like a month or so it would really put a cramp in my day.
I mean if the guy stole a million dollars cause only $750,000 is insured i would be upset.

XDSTEEL said:

Just asking what is a lot of money to you? Because $100 is a lot to me (student). I guess $100 is not worth shooting over, but if that is what you get for food budget for like a month or so it would really put a cramp in my day.
I mean if the guy stole a million dollars cause only $750,000 is insured i would be upset.

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Alot of money could be 100 dollars to me, but when I am talking about alot of money, its in reference to what alot of my own money is to me not what alot of bank money is to the bank. If the bank has a million dollars taken from it, I am not going to risk my own life chasing down an armed man in order to save that cash for the bank. They are insured and if it only covers 75 percent of the loss and their potential for losses can run that high then maybe they should put some money towards hiring armed guards to work full time in their buildings.

I am just saying, if a wealthy company is being robbed and I am not in harm's way, I am not going to put myself in harm's way in order to help them regain some of their assets. Now if its a mugger and its my own cash in my own wallet, I may just do what I can to retrieve it if I feel the risk is worth it and the chance to reclaim what is lost is high.

Tennessee v. Garner

Google up and read the above SCOUS case as applies to the police. Note the very restrictive guidelines pronounced. A lot of borderline areas can be in play depending on "the totality of the circumstances" to be Monday morning quarterbacked by others - police, prosecutors, jurors. I would say justifying shooting a fleeing felon as a private citizen would be at least as difficult as it would for the police.

I can say that we are trained to first be a good witness if off duty in plain clothes where a robbery goes down and the robber is just going to take the loot and run. We are probably not wearing a vest, may carry a smaller gun and less ammo than on duty, have no radio to call for back-up or maintain communication, and are not immediately visually recognizable as police when giving commands. Plus, in an exchange of gunfire innocent bystanders can get shot.

Some cues to engage would be if the robber discharges their weapon ( even into the ceiling or floor), herds people toward the back to a freezer locker or bathroom area, has people kneel or lay in an execution position, or covers peoples head with a blindfold, sack or whatever.

PS. Ever notice how police choose where and how to sit when eating at a restaurant?

understood

MK said:

I am just saying, if a wealthy company is being robbed and I am not in harm's way, I am not going to put myself in harm's way in order to help them regain some of their assets. Now if its a mugger and its my own cash in my own wallet, I may just do what I can to retrieve it if I feel the risk is worth it and the chance to reclaim what is lost is high.

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Fair. What i am saying is that the robber comes in the bank and i just deposited my $100 in the bank. Steals the money and goes. I would be livid I would want to chase after him but like you said why put yourself in harms way when there is no need to be. i.e. the money is insured by the FED so I technically did not lose it. so I totally agree with you. YAY !!!

There is one major problem with shooting at a felon that is not shooting at you...where will your bullets go, or what will they hit, if you miss? (or they over penetrate?).

In most cases it will go better being a good witness.....

MK said:

Chasing after an armed man who has just stolen insured money from a bank is definitely not high on my list of things to do. If its my money, and its alot of money, I might be a little more inclined to try and retrieve it.

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Who do you think insures the banks money? Can you say "TAXPAYERS"?

Hej Lady Glock! Actually the insurance is handled by the National Government, but it is paid for by the depositors. It is an added cost of doing business, and is taken from what could be investment returns to the depositors if it did not have to be paid to the FDIC. The FDIC is not directly funded by taxes.