Army Staff Sgt. Eddie Peoples, left, is formally recognized by Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight during a news conference Wednesday for subduing a man accused of robbing a bank on Tuesday outside a Bank of America branch on Bee Ridge Road.
SARASOTA COUNTY - When Army Staff Sgt. Eddie Peoples returned to Sarasota this week on leave, he never expected to find himself using the combat skills he'd honed during four years in Iraq.
But he sprang into action Tuesday afternoon when a bank robber hijacked his family fishing trip and pointed a gun at Peoples' 4- and 6-year-old sons.
Peoples had promised to take his sons fishing while he was on leave from his base in Italy. They were on their way and had made a quick stop at Bank of America when a man walked into the branch at 3600 Bee Ridge Road with a black handgun and demanded cash from the tellers.
At first, Peoples' sons thought the robbery was a joke and began giggling. That got the robber's attention, so Peoples quickly tucked them behind some lobby chairs.
"The only thing that went through my mind was, 'Don't let them get hurt,'" Peoples said.
The robber, a bearded white man about 6 feet tall and 250 pounds, went to each of the four teller stations, calm and collected. He instructed tellers to put money in a maroon recycled grocery bag, and to leave out any of the trackers or dye packs that could explode and make the cash useless.
The robber kept his eye on Peoples, 34, who has the thick neck and muscular arms of a professional soldier.
The robber waved his gun in Peoples' direction and warned that "the big black guy" should not try anything.
As the robber prepared to flee the bank, he pointed the gun at Peoples' sons, Ikaika and Kioni, who were peering through the chairs.
Peoples does not remember the robber's exact words, but said the man warned others in the bank not to try anything "or the kid will get it."
Source http://www.heraldtribune.com/
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