Scared sheople

[RubenZ]

The cops did ok. I'd be more irritated at the people who called it in and how they "saw weapons"

[Big Calhoun]

I have a bank but I have not seen it in over a year.

Online banking rules!!!

Seriously are people that nieve that a person acting suspiciously is automatically a bank rober? there was no demand or action tward the bank in the article.

Contrary to sheeples opnions not all people look alike.

+1...I don't even know what the inside of my local branch looks like anymore. Any deposits I need to make are electronic or through the ATM. Other bank business is handled over the web with paperwork faxed back-and-forth.

But on principle, this could have potentially happened to anyone. I think the police acted appropriately with the information they had. IMO, the question is whether the bank employees created a needless situation. Granted, it could have been the real thing and then the call would have come too late. But I would think that the caller/s would verify and reverify what they saw versus what they percieved.

My guess...someone saw a bulge and it was the guys cellphone or something.

[BShook]

Anybody else smell a fresh lawsuit?

[propellerhead]

My guess...someone saw a bulge and it was the guys cellphone or something.

That was my thought too. Then this employee asked another firestarter employee what it could be. Then they probably fueled each other's speculations with their fears then padded the call to 9-1-1 with their opinion on what the man was there for.

This reminds me of an incident we had back in my USAF days. We had liquid fueled nuclear cruise missiles in our maintenance bay. During a certain task, about a cup of jet fuel spilled from one of the missiles. One guy wiped it up with a rag and we then tried to figure out why it was leaking. We stopped the task and called Munitions Control to let them know why we are on hold. By their books, any fuel spill requires a call to the Base Fire Dept. The Fire Dept gets the call about a fuel spill in a building full of nuclear missiles. They sent seven trucks to surround our building and they were ready to foam the whole place regardless of who was in it. I talked to one of the firefighters later on and he said they heard the maintenance bay was covered in jet fuel and that one spark would've lit up all of northern Michigan with nuclear blasts.

[maximus2161]

OK, as Paul Harvey would say, now let's hear the REST of the story.

As written, this makes absolutely NO sense. What was this guy doing? And why did they think he had a gun? And, even if he did, why was that a problem???

There has to be more...

agreed. If the story presented has all the facts (which I doubt) then the whole thing was handled poorly.

[RCP]

It's made national headlines now. It's on CNN

[shootthesheet]

Sounds like "9 1 1" may have not asked the right questions. Then again, some people get something in their mind and it is truth to them.

[Wildscar]

ya know I have actually had this type of thing happen to me. I was riding home one night around 3 in the morning. I wasn't speeding or anything like that I was just casually riding. I pass a Mesquite LEO going the other way. I look over my shoulder and hes go the lights on and I know since im the only one around that I'm his target. I go ahead and pull over and kill the engine and step off the bike with my hand out to my side to let the cop feel a bit more at ease about the stop. Well as i turn around I see the door of the cop car come open and Beretta leveled my way and he yelling orders at me to get on the pavement and what not. I had no idea what was going on but I wasn't about to argue. I immediately complied with all the orders issued. Before he got to me about 4 other units where on scene. I was cuffed, patted down and placed in the back of the patrol car, helmet and all. They started going over my bike searching for something. That had to be one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. I was in full riding gear. Leather jacket, gloves and boots and it was hot in back of that car. Not to mention his cuffs were just big enough to fit around my gloved wrists that it really hurt. But I still didn't complain. Learned a lot time ago that it really doesn't do any good to argue about anything and if you cooperate it all seems to go smoother. The whole time I didn't know what was going on. About 10 mins later another patrol car pulls up and out steps a LEO and another guy that looks like a store clerk from somewhere. They walk him over to the car and he shake his head no. they ask him several times. "Are you this is not the guy that robbed your store?" "No, his helmet has a dragon on it. The other guys was just fancy designs" Apparently my bike matched the description of a BG that robbed a 24 hr convenience store at gun point. My custom painted helmet is probably the only thing that saved me that night. They let me go and apologized profusely. I told them that it was alright and not worry about it they where just doing their job. Some might say LEO's over react but I say they are just trying to go home at the end of the day.

In a situation like that I completely understand what had to be done and all the measures that where taken. I don't fault the cops for anything they did that night. I also don't fault anything the cops did in this encounter. They where going off the information that was given to them. I do however fault the clerks that over reacted. I can tell you this. If this had been me there would have been a lawsuit filed first thing Monday morning. like it has been already said. If that was one of us it would have been our word over the banks that we didn't flash or print or other wise giveaway that we where armed. I would not want to see that turn out. But I can tell you this. This bank is sure regretting what happened at this branch. I know if I was a Wells Fargo customer I would have canceled my account and took my business else ware even though it wasn't me that it happened to.

[nitrogen]

I was once detained because my name matched the name of a wanted child molester. The wanted fellow also lived on a street with the same name as mine, in a different city.

The wanted person was also 25 years older than I am.

I was handcuffed and put in the back of a squad car. Somewhat roughly, but nowhere near what I'd consider abusive. After about 10-15 mins, I was profusely apologized to, and let on my way after they let me know what happened.

[phddan]

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA-TV

Jordan Hashem
Images of Derrill Ewans handcuffed on the ground were captured by Jordan Hashem.
Also Online

9/10: Man mistaken for bank robber held at gunpoint

FRISCO - As Frisco police launch a formal investigation after a bank customer was detained based on a teller's suspicions, the customer has now hired a lawyer.

It all started when a Wells Fargo personal banker called 911.

"We have two males that walked into our branch, possibility of a gun in his pocket," the teller said. "He's sitting down with a personal banker."

A second personal banker then played down the ordeal to the 911 operator and asked for either a plain-clothed officer to take a look or have an officer simply drive by.

The banker told the operator there was not a robbery in progress.

"We're talking to him about a loan that he's doing and everything else and one of our tellers thought that he had a weapon on him," the banker said.

An amateur photographer shot video that showed police enter the bank, handcuff Derrill Ewans and force him to the ground. Officers also surrounded a car where Ewans' girlfriend and her 3-year-old daughter were waiting for him. They handcuffed the mother and put the mother and child into a squad car.

Ewans and his lawyer, Texas Senator Royce West, listened to the 911 call Monday.

"None of these things they're saying right here sound like anything like what took place," Ewans said of the call.

West said he is concerned how Ewans' visit to the bank turned into what it did.

"I think at that particular branch, they're not used to seeing African Americans in there," West said. "And I guess the suspicion that first came up is that he had a gun on him, and I just can't understand what that was all about."

Frisco police said they had no choice but to respond the way they did to the call of a suspicious man who possible may have a gun inside the bank. They said they could not take the word of the personal banker that things were okay inside without knowing if he was under duress.

Ewans said he still hasn't received any explanations from the bank or the police department as to why he was considered armed and suspicious.

"I feel completely violated," Ewans said.

A Wells Fargo spokesperson said there were a number of factors that caused their employees to be concerned and call the police, but wouldn't go into details about what those factors were due to privacy and security issues.

Bank executives and Frisco police said they would like to talk with Ewans about the incident.




I'd be seriously mad at both the bank and leo if this had happened to me. The bank employee jumped to conclusions.
And the cops should have sent in a plain clothes officer to take a look.
Yea, I would have a lawyer too.

Dan

[Liberty]

<Sarcasm>
Oh my God!!
A black man with a gun! In Frisco!!!
</sarcasm>
It would almost be funny, if this were a comedy act.

[HankB]

The cops did ok.

From the story:

Ewans said police continued questioning him about a possible weapon and held him for about 30 minutes.

Perhaps their initial response was OK, but once he was outside, WHY did they hold him for a half hour when it would have only taken a couple of minutes - if that - to speak to the bank official he was dealing with and confirm that he wasn't a bank robber?

IMHO, overall the cops did NOT do ok, and there should be some financial compensation due the innocent man they continued to hold long after they knew there was no crime.

[Sangiovese]

I don't think 30 minutes is an unreasonable amount of time for the police to be sure that they knew what the situation was. I think that their actions were reasonable and if I were in his position I would have no beef with the PD.

However, I would have SERIOUS issues with the bank. I'm not one to yell "SUE" over every little insult or inconvenience... but if what has been reported about the incident is accurate, then the people at the bank were grossly out of line. I would be seeking damages from the bank and I would also be pressing for the employee who called 911 to be charged criminally for filing a false report.

[KD5NRH]

I don't think 30 minutes is an unreasonable amount of time for the police to be sure that they knew what the situation was.

Once they had him detained, it wouldn't have taken 30 seconds for someone to ask the bank official what was going on and realize that it wasn't a robbery.

[yobdab]

What if he did have a CHL and was armed at the time. Would he be sitting in jail right now for suspicion of Armed Robbery? That could have turned into a very complicated situation real fast.