By Jeff Lehr
jlehr@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — A suspect captured following a bank robbery Thursday morning in Neosho is drawing interest from investigators of unsolved robberies in Webb City and Joplin.
A man wearing a “Jason” mask and a hat entered the US Bank at 1094 Neosho Blvd. shortly before noon Thursday, displayed a handgun to a teller on duty behind the counter and another bank employee in a side office, and demanded money.
David McCracken, Neosho’s police chief, said no customers were in the bank at the time.
“He gave them a bag and wanted all the money,” McCracken said. “They complied, opened the two drawers that they had, gave him the money, and he left.”
Good descriptions
The two female employees triggered the bank’s alarm at 11:49 a.m. McCracken said they were able to provide police with quick, good descriptions of both the robber and a white Chevrolet Lumina in which he drove away.
A white Lumina pulled out onto the boulevard headed south but was spotted moments later by Officer Johnny Humphries at Business Highway 71 and highways 59 and 60 on the south side of town, the police chief said.
Humphries followed the vehicle into the parking lot of the nearby Wal-Mart store, where the suspect parked and tried to hide among other vehicles, McCracken said. Other officers arrived at the scene and surrounded the Lumina, he said.
McCracken said the officers had to be cautious about how they approached the car because they knew the suspect was armed and there were a number of spectators in the parking lot who were stopping to watch what was taking place.
Taser used
The suspect was seen leaning over in the seat of the vehicle as Officer Brandon Beshears and Cpl. Bobby Brown approached the car, the police chief said. Brown opened the door of the vehicle and shot the suspect with a Taser gun just as he was raising his weapon toward the officers, he said.
“No shots were fired, just one Taser round,” McCracken said.
Taken into custody was Richard A. Bratt, 57, of rural Diamond. Bratt had stuffed some of the money from the bank loot into his pants pockets as officers were approaching, according to a probable-cause affidavit. McCracken said the car was seized and a search warrant was being sought for investigators to search it for evidence.
The Newton County prosecutor’s office filed charges against Bratt a few hours later. He is charged with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and felony resisting of arrest. He remained in custody Thursday night at the Newton County Jail on a $50,000 bond, with additional bond amounts possible with the completion of paperwork from the charges.
The Globe learned late in the day Thursday that Joplin and Webb City police investigators were in Neosho for questioning of the suspect.
Carl Francis, the Webb City police chief, said his detectives were exploring the possibility of a connection to the robbery of Commerce Bank in Webb City. A heavy-set gunman wearing a tan straw hat, sunglasses and a black handkerchief or mesh cloth over the lower portion of his face robbed that bank on July 10 and was thought to have fled in a white Oldsmobile Cutlass.
The Globe could not confirm for which unsolved robberies Joplin police may have an interest in the suspect.
Sinister goalie
The suspect in a bank robbery Thursday reportedly wore a “Jason” mask. Jason was a character in the “Friday the 13th” series of movies who wore a hockey goalie’s mask.
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