Miami Police Capture Bank Robbery Suspect

NewsOn6.com 

MIAMI, OK -- Miami Police captured a man they say robbed the Miami Security Bank and Trust on Thursday. Leslie Palmer, 45, of Sherman, Texas was taken into custody after a short police chase ended in a church parking lot.

According to Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito, Palmer robbed the bank at about 8:27 a.m. Thursday while there were no customers and only three employees present.

Witnesses told police that the suspect entered the bank, jumped up on the counter and told everyone to get down. He then jumped behind the counter and pulled money from the cash drawers.

Bank employees watched as the suspect left the bank in a white van with gray stripes then pulled the vehicle into the parking lot of a nearby WalMart. Police officers first tried to stop the suspect by shooting out the van tires as he drove out of the WalMart lot.

When that attempt was unsuccessful, they chased him across town until he pulled the van into a vacant church parking lot. Police surrounded the vehicle and took Palmer into custody.

Chief Exposito said Palmer admitted he has served time in the past for bank robbery. They believe he is the man who robbed the same bank about six weeks ago.

Officers found an air pistol in the stolen vehicle and recovered all the bank's cash. Palmer did not show a weapon during the robbery, police report.