Garry Amyot went to Scotiabank in Abbotsford on Wednesday (June 2) to check on the status of a new bank card, but instead he helped thwart an armed robbery.
Amyot, 68, was one of four customers inside the bank on Gladwin Road and South Fraser Way who tackled the gun-wielding culprit before the suspect could leave the premises.
Amyot said he was in a line to inquire about his new card at about 11:30 a.m. when another customer walked past the line, and Amyot noticed the person was acting unusual.
sa国际传媒淎ll of a sudden, the guy walks in past us, pulls out a 12-gauge shotgun and yells out, sa国际传媒楨verybody! This is a bank robbery, nobody move!sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� Amyot said.
sa国际传媒淪o Isa国际传媒檓 looking from a little distance and I see the shotgun, and I own and know firearms so Isa国际传媒檓 thinking this is pretty serious, but Isa国际传媒檓 also thinking, sa国际传媒業sa国际传媒檓 not going to die today.sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒�
The suspect threw a bag to Amyot, who then passed it to a teller. As the tellers began filling the bag with money, Amyot shared a glance with another customer behind the suspect and the wheels began turning in his head.
sa国际传媒淲hen I looked at that guy I just knew he was going to do something no matter what,sa国际传媒� Amyot said, noting he could tell the fellow customer looked irritated. sa国际传媒淚 wasnsa国际传媒檛 going to let him do this by himself. I winked at him and that was the green light sa国际传媒� we were comrades in this situation.sa国际传媒�
Suddenly, the other man in line grabbed the suspectsa国际传媒檚 gun and pointed it straight up to avoid anyone getting hurt. Amyot quickly followed and tackled the suspect.
sa国际传媒淚t all happened so freaking fast,sa国际传媒� Amyot said. sa国际传媒淭he other guy grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and then milliseconds later sa国际传媒� bang! sa国际传媒� wesa国际传媒檙e all on the ground. Isa国际传媒檝e got my arms around his back and my elbow in his face and we have him pinned down. The gun was on the floor and I remember telling someone, sa国际传媒楰ick that gun out of the way!sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒�
Two other customers assisted in restraining the suspect until the police arrived a few minutes later.
sa国际传媒淚t was so surreal; it all happened so fast,sa国际传媒� Amyot said.
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Amyot, who has about 15 years of martial arts training, said the situation was intense but he felt confident.
sa国际传媒淚t was all instinct,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淏ut my adrenaline was pumping so fast after that.sa国际传媒�
Amyot, who works at Ashley Furniture HomeStore in Abbotsford, said Tuesdays and Wednesdays are his days off but after the incident at the bank he decided to engage in some liquid counselling.
sa国际传媒淚 went and had something to eat because I hadnsa国际传媒檛 ate anything all day but the next thing I did was go to the liquor store. I bought a case of beer, came home, had a shot of tequila and a beer or two,sa国际传媒� he said.
When Amyot arrived home after the incident, he discovered that the bank card he had gone to the bank to check on had arrived in the mail.
He said he doesnsa国际传媒檛 consider himself a hero and just wanted everyone in the bank to be safe.
Amyot has lived in Abbotsford on and off for the past two decades and said he thinks it would be nice for the man who stopped the suspect and himself to receive some sort of recognition from the city.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檇 be OK with getting some sort of commendation or a placard or a medal from the city of Abbotsford,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e just happened to be in the right place at the right time.sa国际传媒�
He also said hesa国际传媒檇 be OK with getting some sort of acknowledgement or tip of the hat from Scotiabank itself.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 good that it all came out the way it came out, but Isa国际传媒檇 be fine if Scotiabank decided to take care of whatever is left on my credit card for me,sa国际传媒� he joked.
The 46-year-old suspect remains in police custody facing numerous charges, including robbery and weapons offences. Police are continuing to investigate.
