Bank Manager Wrestles Down Robber, Thinking Loaded Gun Fake
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Police say the manager at a Fridley bank wrestled a would-be robber to the ground Monday because he thought the man was carrying a fake handgun.
Turns out, however, police say the handgun was real – and loaded.
Court documents out of Anoka County say that 31-year-old Tarik Mazhar, of Minneapolis, is charged with attempting to rob the TCF Bank inside the Cub Foods on 57th Avenue Northeast.
According to the criminal complaint, bank personnel told police that Mazhar entered the bank wearing a mask and pulled out a gun when he approached a teller.
In response, the teller called for his manager, who tried grab the gun from Mazhar. The manager later told police that he thought the gun was fake.
A struggle then ensued, but it ended with the manager and the teller wrestling Mazhar to the ground. When police arrived, they found Mazhar subdued by several TCF and Cub Foods employees.
When officers recovered Mazhar's gun, they determined it was real and loaded with two live rounds.
If convicted of the robbery charge, Mazhar faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a $17,500 fine.
