A hapless would-be bank robber picked the wrong place to attempt a hold-up when he was violently taken out by a customer almost twice his age.
Surveillance video shows a man believed to be homeless man John Ryall, 38, rushing into Honesdale National Bank in Scott Township, Pennsylvania, wearing a mask and waving a gun around.
As the man gets a clerk to put money in his bag however, he is tackled out of nowhere by Robert Sakosky, 63.
Surveillance video shows a man rushing into Honesdale National Bank in Scott Township, Pennsylvania, wearing a mask and waving a gun around
After the man gets cash from a clerk, customer Robert Sakosky tackled him to the ground
The two men struggle on the floor of the bank as Sakosky tries to take the man’s gun
John Ryall, left, was later identified as the robber in the surveillance footage. The vigilante that body-slammed him, Sakosky, is pictured right
After the tackle, Sakosky and the robber struggle off camera. When they come back into view, Sakosky takes the gun from the man and throws the bag of money across the room.
Sakosky managed to get the man’s mask off so he let go. The unmasked robber ran out of the bank.
When police arrived, Sakosky directed them to where the robber went.
Officers charged Ryall with robbery, aggravated assault and making terrorist threats. Police say Sakosky and bank employees identified him as the robber.
Ryall reportedly told police: ‘I needed the money for my kid, that’s why I robbed the bank I need the money, I can’t do anything.’
The two continue to struggle as Sakosky gets the on his feet and stands over the robber
Sakosky is ultimately able to disarm and unmask the robber, before throwing the bag aside
The unmasked robber runs into the parking lot. Sakosky told the police which way he headed
Sakosky is the general manager of a local hotel. His employees say they were both shocked and proud of what he did.
‘He’s definitely a hero, but he’s just a normal guy,’ Wade Nordahl, a Carbondale Grand Hotel employee, told WNEP. ‘I mean, he’s personable, he’s a good boss, he never gets angry. I’m honestly surprised he did it.’
People living and working near the bank are calling Sakosky a hero.
‘He is exceptionally brave to have done that,’ neighbor Donna Shaw told WNEP. ‘I certainly would not have encountered anybody with a gun, I wouldn’t have tried to do it.’
Sakosky, pictured with his wife, is the general manager of a local hotel. He is being called a hero by people in the community
Officers charged Ryall with robbery and making terrorist threats. He will go to court next week