Missouri bank employee shoots robber to stop heist

A 34-year-old Missouri man was shot in the face Friday after he tried to rob a bank while wielding a toy gun.

The suspect, Michael Oliva, entered Security Bank in Trimble, Mo., Friday afternoon wearing a black mask and holding a realistic plastic gun replica, the police report states.

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Mr. Olivia pointed the “gun” at a bank employee and demanded she empty her teller drawer. Not knowing the gun was fake, she dropped to the floor and began crawling toward another bank employee shouting for help.

The suspect pointed the fake gun toward the employee on the floor when another employee heard the cries. He retrieved his Smith & Wesson .357 revolver and fired two rounds at Mr. Olivia, hitting him once in the jaw.

The suspect fled the scene in a getaway car, leaving a trail of blood outside of the bank. According to the police report, the crime turned into a high-speed chase until officers deployed spike strips and the Dodge Stratus was stopped.

The suspect was arrested and transported to an emergency room. He remains hospitalized and is in federal custody pending a detention hearing, Fox 4 News reports.

The worker who fired the shot will not be charged.

“Anybody that does any kind of crime, breaks into houses or goes and robs anybody then basically they’re taking their own life on the line,” said Chief Larry Fish, Trimble Police Chief, in the Fox 4 News report.

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