Off-Duty Officer Helps Capture Tulsa Bank Robbery, Chase Suspect

An off-duty Tulsa police officer helped catch a bank robbery suspect who eventually led authorities on a high-speed chase that ended with a crash in Kansas.

Police arrested Steven Kinman and his passenger, Daniel Hall.

Utica Square is a busy place, but police say that didn't stop Kinman from jumping on the counter and demanding money from Prosperity Bank tellers.

Tulsa Police Officer Darrell Ross was in his personal vehicle at a stoplight and saw a man leaving in a hurry. He said he knew something wasn’t right.

"I saw the vehicle parked outside the bank with its hazards on, and the engine running and the door partially opened. I see a man running out of the parking lot, jump into the vehicle and it speeds away at a high rate of speed," he said.

Ross followed the truck a couple blocks and sent his wife a voice text with the vehicle information.

As soon as he got to his computer, Ross saw a call had just gone out about a strong-armed robbery at the bank, so he called the primary officer to give him the information.

"When I got the full license plate, matching vehicle and everything, the officer was able to put together that vehicle was stolen in a carjacking earlier in the day," he said.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol caught up with Kinman and Hall a few hours later near Nowata. They chased him across state lines, into Kansas, where Kinman crashed in Montgomery County.

Authorities found $10,000 stuffed in his pants.

Ross said, "Definitely dangerous. No idea how far he was willing to go for money; so glad he was caught."

Ross said he didn't pursue the pickup because it's against Tulsa Police policy to do it when they are off-duty in personal vehicles.

Kansas authorities are still trying to figure out Hall's involvement.