crime

Armed man tries to rob bank in Fukuoka Pref

27 Comments

Police in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, are looking for an armed man who tried to rob a bank on Friday afternoon.

The man, wearing a white helmet, walked into a branch of the Chikuho Bank just before the 3 p.m. closing time, Fuji TV reported. He pointed a gun at a female clerk behind the counter and demanded she hand over money.

However, the woman refused and the man fired his gun three times into the ceiling. He then fled the scene on a bike he had left parked outside.

There were eight customers and 12 employees in the bank at the time but no one was injured, police said.

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27 Comments
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That is one lucky woman, and one incredibly stupid robber

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The robber did a great favor for himself by shooting the ceiling, not the woman in case he is caught. So he is not that stupid.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

He pointed a gun at a female clerk behind the counter and demanded she hand over money. However, the woman refused and the man fired his gun three times into the ceiling.

That female clerk better get a cake, the biggest freaking bonus, a branch named after her. She is one tough clerk. I don't know a promotion or a raise is good enough.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Firing into the ceiling should've scared the crap out of everyone. If only the robber knew this, he would not have fled empty handed. Anyways, glad nobody was killed. Guns are terrible in the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No job is worth your life. I hope she was fired for being so stupid.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

I'm with "gogo". This woman risked the lives of 20 people for paper. No matter how much money was involved,l it could not buy back even one life!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Guns are terrible in the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.

Guns are terrible period.

I hope she was fired for being so stupid

...which would be in another country. The standard procedure in other is to hand over the cash, no questions. It's only paper, after all, and banks are insured.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

The holdup man legged it empty-handed? Ha-ha. Good thing that, as chance would have it, no one was injured. And "the female clerk is a ice queen" is what I'd like to say, um, but this could have been a lot worse.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The armed robber had a gun. There were other customers and bank staff inside the bank. The bank has insurance covering robbery (Banks In Japan do have, right?). And you did something that might agitated the robber and put lives of innocent people in danger. In my opinion, not a great choice of action. I am wondering if banks in Japan have those 'Fly up security screen' or 'Bullet proof glass' installed at their counters? These devices can seriously deter bank robbers.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

So where did he get the gun? Guns are illegal here (except for hunting rifles for a limited number of farmers to keep bears away). Was he a yakuza?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@igloobuyer. This incident is very rare. In JT's crime section, it's usually stabbings. But intriguing, how many yaks and chimpira are armed & dangerous? We know the economy is bad, weak ¥ . . . How many armed japanese wolves are out there?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And so it begins. The end of 'safe Japan'.

Don't be silly. There have been various armed bank robberies in Japan over the years. My wife still talks of the Mitsubishi Bank robbery in Osaka in 1979.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiyoshi_Umekawa

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Maybe she noticed the robber did not have his index finger on trigger yet?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No job is worth your life. I hope she was fired for being so stupid.

Typical American Attitude.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Maybe she noticed the robber did not have his index finger on trigger yet?

I think she thought it was a toy gun.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Isn't there security camera in every bank?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

That is good ... just fired on the ceiling and no one injured. He will miss his Pachinko time for now ...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Robbers love to rob but they are usually not interested in killing?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

She got lucky, as Dirty Harry might say. On another day those bullets might have made it into the ceiling via someone's head.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@John Michael White: I'm not American and what if the guy had hurt someone because the woman said no, you wouldn't be waving your flag then.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@John No one wrote typical American attitude as this is in Japan. Here, Why sec guards did not shoot the robber? Why the bank did not supply a gun to each teller?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Sad situation. One thing is for sure, never ever put your life below your job. It's difficult to say what is the correct thing and what is the wrong thing to do in this situation, but as for Australia we are told to hand over money if we are being robbed.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The robber likely didn't expect to hear the bank teller say "No" to him when he demanded the cash. I doubt this robber was interested in killing because he shot into the ceiling. This bank teller was fortunate but also strong. She SHOULD get a raise, a promotion, perks, and any other reward the bank's controlling company can give her (and John Michael White: I'm AMERICAN and think this way).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

iIt is Fri so the teller might have bunch of deposited checks but no cash. my American bank user's mind think we get cash from bank's outside ATM machine windows?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If World's true Dummiest TV show catches wind of this, it may be featured. Really guy?!?! A bike? Who robbed a place with the escape "vehicle" for a bike? Say he manage to succeed, how would he carry the money away on a bike?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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