'I Just Grabbed Him Enough To Drop Him': Boxer Subdues Suspected Bank Robber
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SEWICKLEY BOROUGH (KDKA) -- Crime isn't common in Sewickley Borough, but on Monday afternoon, police were called over reports of a bank robbery.
Around 1 p.m., police said Stephen Mattie, 58, allegedly robbed the Northwest Savings Bank on Beaver Street. He approached the teller, demanded money and took off. What Mattie didn't expect to come face to face with after that was a boxer.
"I just grabbed him enough to drop him," said Jaryd Boyer.
Boyer owns Premier Fitness and Boxing Club in Ambridge. He was on his way to see a friend at Golden Boy Tattoo when he noticed a man running down the street.
"I see some guy running down the street with a bag with money falling everywhere. He had a mask on. It was so obvious what he was about to do or what he did," said Boyer.
That's when he said his adrenaline kicked in.
"I didn't know if he had weapon on him or something, so my instinct was to stop to make sure I was safe," Boyer said.
Boyer's friend, Brock McClelland, kept the robber on the ground while Cory Speciale, who owns Golden Boy Tattoo, watched it all go down from his business.
"There was money everywhere. One guy was collecting up money, the other subdued, and within a few moments, police showed up," Speciale said.
Boyer said he can sympathize with Mattie. He said he used to be on the other side of the law.
"Not that I was ever desperate, but I can relate," said Boyer. "He was obviously going through something that he felt like had to to do that."
Mattie, who is a Sewickley resident, is in the Allegheny County Jail charged with robbery and terroristic threats.
Police said he dropped about $900 on the street. If you spot any leftover money from the robbery on the streets of Sewickley, police are asking you to call them.