Owasso bank robbery suspect arrested after brief chase

An alert citizen helped police catch a suspected Owasso bank robber Monday afternoon. <br><br>The man was inside the bank when the hold-up happened and followed the suspect until he was able to flag down

Monday, August 26th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

An alert citizen helped police catch a suspected Owasso bank robber Monday afternoon.

The man was inside the bank when the hold-up happened and followed the suspect until he was able to flag down a police officer. News on Six crime reporter Lori Fullbright was at the ensuing standoff Monday afternoon and says Lawrence Chavis and his wife happened to be in the Exchange Bank on 86th Street North Monday afternoon.

They were closing on a land deal, when the robber ran in and jumped over the counter, demanding money. At first, they thought it was a joke or a drill. They quickly learned it was the real thing. Chavis pointed Owasso Police on the trail of the suspect and the chase ended in Turley near 71st and Peoria.

Officers arrested one man, but thought another one was still inside the get-away car. They shot several canisters of tear gas in the car and waited for a few hours. Finally, they searched the car, no one was inside. The eyewitness says he only saw one person at the bank. The get-away car was filled with money; officers believe it came from the bank. They towed the car to search for fingerprints and other evidence.

The suspect they arrested told them he was working alone, but the FBI will determine whether that's true or if a second suspect got-away. Tulsa County Sheriffâ€™s office's special operations team was in charge of the stand off. Owasso and Tulsa police as well as the OHP, helped.

The FBI was also on the scene. There weren't very many customers inside the bank when this happened. Chavis says he still can't get over seeing something like that happen right in front of him. No one was hurt.