Three Armed Men Rob Bank - how do you react?

[biasedbulldog]

From a recent Tucson bank robbery.

Three armed men with masks and gloves robbed a Compass Bank in Tucson this week.

So what do you do? This may be too simple and redundant. I can't imagine anyone suggesting you try to take out three BG's with guns at one time. Everything about it suggests they wouldn't blink at shooting everybody in sight if they had to. I'm pretty sure I'd sit tight and wait. They start killing people, then you have to try. But you would not go down as the hero if you started a bloodbath that would likely result in you dead as well as other innocents (and hopefully a couple or all BG's).

Any other thoughts?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[BikerRN]

No other thoughts, as I think you're on the right track.

As long as people aren't being shot, don't force a gunfight in a crowded environment. There are no real life Rambos. The odds are stacked against you by too great a margin IMHO, unless you are a "certified mall ninja".

I'm not a mall ninja, so I'll let the robbery go down and try to be a good witness.

Biker

[rainmaker]

Bank money is insured. You're right. No shooting - don't shoot. Make yourself invisible and be a good witness.

[goldshellback]

Very sticky situation.
Let it go down. The bank is somewhat crowded and the odds of anyone (customer) being singled out is small. I wouldn't 'force' the issue of a gunfight.

[sojourner]

standing pat until the gunfire starts may not be the best strategy. Also, what if you are the first recipient of said gunfire.

I've posted about this before, an actual bank robbery in my area. Scary.
Twenty years later, bank slayings haunt Valley -- themorningcall.com

Who's to know what I would do. I might run towards the back offices behind cover and only shoot if they come to get me. That is my current thought when I go into the bank.

[Supertac45]

I agree with you.

[obxned]

Even if you were Dirty Harry, innocent people would get hit by the BGs stray rounds.

[Paco]

Tough one, in my case a bank robbery would also be a car jacking since I don't go in so I would take care of it.

But on the off chance I am in the lobby I am thinking I would try to become a mouse and good witness. If SHTF, and I am not the 1st to get it, I am thinking I'd have to try. If nothing else than to lessen the odds the others get hurt. If I can take out 2 of the 3, maybe the others can follow up and take care of the last one, but who knows.

[Kerbouchard]

It depends on the situation. I don't think I would let myself get to the point where I am laying on the ground or on my knees facing away. At the point where we start getting 'herded' into a corner, I believe I might take my chances.

It's just too hard to guess what I would do in that kind of situation. As for those that would wait until gunfire to intervene, I would say that you would have waited too long.

On your knees with your hands on your head while staring into a wall or laying down on your stomach with your hands on your head is not exactly an ideal position from which to begin your resistance.

I have online banking and haven't been to a bank in years, so I would say the chance of me being caught up in an active bank robbery is akin to my chances of being struck by a meteor.

As far as being caught up in some other kind of robbery. My guess is my gun would clear leather when the 'herding' began, or when the first shot was fired.

[Bark'n]

No other thoughts, as I think you're on the right track.

As long as people aren't being shot, don't force a gunfight in a crowded environment. There are no real life Rambos. The odds are stacked against you by too great a margin IMHO, unless you are a "certified mall ninja".

I'm not a mall ninja, so I'll let the robbery go down and try to be a good witness.

Biker

Can't say it much better than that, but I'll add my take on the common bank robbery.

I'm not going to be the catalyst to the start of a gunfight!

Too many bank robberies go down without shots fired or people being killed. While it's probably very frightening, you really should trust the FBI stats in that regard.

I would say the goal of the Bank Robber is to Get The Cash and Get Out Fast! Time Is Of The Essence! Most don't want to buy a murder wrap unless things start going horribly wrong! I have not heard of any bank robberies where the goal was to kill everyone inside! Doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but you have to look at the motivating factor of the bank robbery in the first place. If the goal was to do a mass killing, there are certainly safer ways and places for the killers to go about doing that.

(Even in the notorious North Hollywood Bank Robbery and Shootout, while the robbers Emil Matasareanu and Larry Phillips, Jr. fired hundreds of rounds of automatic weapons fire inside the bank to discourage any resistance from customers and staff, they did not shoot anyone inside the bank. The only time they fired directly onto people was when they were confronted by police resistance, and then continued the onslaught in an attempt to escape.)

I'm standing pat to be a good witness. I'll even give up my money if they start taking money from the patrons.

To not hand over my personal cash and getting into a confrontation may reveal that I am armed, and would be doing so under circumstances that I can not control. (The goal is for them not to know I'm armed until their heads start to explode from my gunfire. Not before!)

So I'm playing it real cool and go along with the flow unless they start firing on people.

Even a couple random shots fired into the ceiling "to get everyones attention" probably won't provoke me into returning fire at that point.

As always, I have to play it as I see it go down... But I do have some principle strategies already predetermined for such scenarios that I tend to want to stick with instead of freelancing and flying by the seat of my pants.

[HKinNY]

Eyes open, mouth shut! will listen and be a good witness too. If they are just in it for the money and no shots fired. No problem. Herding into back room, told to lay facedown all bets are off and its go time.

[Bark'n]

Herding into back room, told to lay facedown all bets are off and its go time.

One thing to bear in mind.... They almost ALWAYS have everyone get down on the ground and lie flat....

So if that's your line in the sand... You're almost certain to have a gunfight which lots of innocents are going to get hurt or killed.

To me, having me get down on the ground is not the point I'm going to start shooting because I EXPECT them to make that command at the very least!

[retsupt99]

Too many possibilities to really make a call. I see it as one of those, 'you had to be there' incidents.
The above posters have made some excellent calls, but who really knows?

As Hitch King states...eyes open, mouth shut...probably good advice...the rest can be played as you see it unfold.

Stay armed...stay alert...stay safe!

[sojourner]

... I have not heard of any bank robberies where the goal was to kill everyone inside! Doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but you have to look at the motivating factor of the bank robbery in the first place. If the goal was to do a mass killing, there are certainly safer ways and places for the killers to go about doing that. ...

If you read the story to the link I posted, you will see a situation like the one you described.

[Hopyard]

Isn't there an old saying, never draw on a drawn gun? Unless you think that you are definitely about to be shot, attempting to draw will only, at best, result in some sort of blood bath.