Tinysd
11-11-2005, 07:54 AM
By Joe Hughes
UNION-TRIBUNE
3:43 p.m. November 10, 2005
<!-- BODYTEXT -->ROSEVILLE – An off-duty sheriff's deputy shot and killed a gunman robbing a Bank of America branch Thursday, waiting until the man was leaving to protect others during the deadly confrontation. "The deputy absolutely saved lives," said San Diego police Capt. Mary Cornicelli.
The deputy, dressed in street clothes, was a customer in the branch on Rosecrans Street about 11:30 a.m. when he saw a man enter the building from the north door waving a gun. The man yelled at the dozen employees and eight customers that he was robbing the bank.
As the gunman went from teller to teller, demanding they fill a bag with money, the deputy positioned himself near the south door of the bank, crouched behind a counter.
He pulled out his badge and service revolver, and then stood up when the robber started to advance in his direction, Cornicelli said.
"The officer announced he was a deputy sheriff and ordered the man to drop his weapon," Cornicelli said.
The robber turned and pointed his gun in the direction of the deputy, who fired his weapon, she said. The man crumpled to the floor and landed on his back, fatally wounded only feet from the exit.
Before shots were fired, those inside the bank had enough warning to see what was coming and ducked for cover.
"I saw the deputy crouched behind a table with his gun drawn," said Allen Cox, 75. "I knew there was going to be a gunfight; I tried to get out of the line of fire."
Cox said before he heard three shots, he saw the robber wave a "big black gun." Authorities did not release the name of the deputy or the gunman. They said they would investigate to see if the man had been involved in other robberies in the area.
UNION-TRIBUNE
3:43 p.m. November 10, 2005
<!-- BODYTEXT -->ROSEVILLE – An off-duty sheriff's deputy shot and killed a gunman robbing a Bank of America branch Thursday, waiting until the man was leaving to protect others during the deadly confrontation. "The deputy absolutely saved lives," said San Diego police Capt. Mary Cornicelli.
The deputy, dressed in street clothes, was a customer in the branch on Rosecrans Street about 11:30 a.m. when he saw a man enter the building from the north door waving a gun. The man yelled at the dozen employees and eight customers that he was robbing the bank.
As the gunman went from teller to teller, demanding they fill a bag with money, the deputy positioned himself near the south door of the bank, crouched behind a counter.
He pulled out his badge and service revolver, and then stood up when the robber started to advance in his direction, Cornicelli said.
"The officer announced he was a deputy sheriff and ordered the man to drop his weapon," Cornicelli said.
The robber turned and pointed his gun in the direction of the deputy, who fired his weapon, she said. The man crumpled to the floor and landed on his back, fatally wounded only feet from the exit.
Before shots were fired, those inside the bank had enough warning to see what was coming and ducked for cover.
"I saw the deputy crouched behind a table with his gun drawn," said Allen Cox, 75. "I knew there was going to be a gunfight; I tried to get out of the line of fire."
Cox said before he heard three shots, he saw the robber wave a "big black gun." Authorities did not release the name of the deputy or the gunman. They said they would investigate to see if the man had been involved in other robberies in the area.