May 18, 2023

Bank Robber Points Gun At The Wrong One And Gets Eliminated By A Trained Beast

Hero: Staff Sgt Eddie Peoples, who chased down a bank robber, in full combat gear serving in Iraq

Not even army heroes take a day off it appears. An Army staff sergeant who was home on leave chased down and captured a bank robber who pointed a gun at his children.

Eddie Peoples was at the Bank of America branch in Sarasota, Florida, with his four and six-year-old sons when the man walked in with a handgun.

Hold up: As the robber points his gun, Eddie's two kids can be seen in the background sitting on two chairs

He pointed it at customers and the tellers, demanding that they fill his bag with cash and threatened to kill anyone who did not get on the ground.

Video footage shows Mr Peoples in the background telling his sons to go under the chairs for cover and moving large seats in front of them to protect them.

Protection: As the robber points the gun at the bank, telling everyone he will kill anyone who moves, Eddie hides his kids behind some chairs

It was at that moment the robber points his gun at the six-year-old, telling the bank: ‘Don’t try anything or the kiddy gets it.’

According to Mr Peoples, 34, the robber then said to him: ‘You, the big black guy, don’t try anything.’

Family: Eddie with his two sons who were at the bank with him when the robber struck. He said the most important thing was to get them out of the line of fire

When the robber escaped with the cash, it was then that Mr Peoples, a ten-year veteran with honed combat skills from his years in Iraq and Kuwait, sprang into action.

Robber: Matthew Rogers, 34, a homeless Sarasota man with a criminal history including arrests for burglary, auto theft and reckless driving

He left his sons inside while he jumped in his rented van and blocked the suspect’s dark-coloured Honda in a parking space. The robber rammed the van several times with his car, trying to flee.

Trapped: Eddie rammed his white van against the robbers so that he couldn't escape after he fled from the bank with the money

He then got out of his car and pointed the gun at the veteran’s head. Mr People described the moment to CBS saying: ‘I was expecting to hear shots ringing out, but when he put that gun to my face, that’s when my army training kicked in.’

Courage: The 34-year-old was rewarded for his bravery by the Sarasota sheriff's office

Mr Peoples used his left arm to grab and twist the robber’s arm until the wrist locked, making it easy for him to strip the gun away before using a martial arts move to body slam him to the ground. He said: ‘I took him to war, I came after him hard and aggressive, it became a battle of who was gonna go.’

Army officer chases down bank robber (VIDEO) | Sarasota | Your Observer

He had the gun in one hand and the bag of money in the other and holding the robber to the ground when the deputy showed up. The Sheriff’s Office identified the robber as Matthew Rogers, 34, a homeless Sarasota man with a criminal history including arrests for burglary, auto theft and reckless driving.

Armed Robber Aims Gun Kids, Is Unaware Dad's An Army Soldier Who Won't Let Him Get Away With It

The gun turned out to be a realistic toy. Since news of his heroic actions have emerged, Mr Peoples has become a hero and was awarded by the sheriff’s office for his bravery.

Speaking to CBS about the encounter, he said: ‘This was a new variable for me as I’ve never been in a situation where my children have been in danger. ‘My first instincts were to get my kids out of the line of fire.

Soldier's Medal awarded to Staff Sgt. Eddie Peoples | Article | The United States Army

‘When I go away I always tell my kids, “daddy is going to fight the bad guys”. ‘When I came back into the bank, my six-year-old shouted to me “daddy, did you get that bad guy?” ‘And when I told him I did, he ran over to hug me and everyone started clapping and cheering.