DUNCAN, Okla_We have
continuing coverage of Thursday's bank robbery in Duncan. Police say the accused robber tried to make his getaway in a taxi cab. Police
say just minutes after the robbery at 10th and Main Street Thursday afternoon,
a patrol officer took George Netherton's picture to a taxi company just one
block away from the bank. Employees said Netherton was headed to Oklahoma City with one of
their drivers.
He is now in a Stephens County jail cell and police say he
admitted to the whole thing. He was not armed with a gun at the time of the
robbery but instead used a note that he passed to the teller to get the money.
Police say a quick thinking patrol officer quickly passed around Netherton's
photo that was quickly recognized by a taxi company one block from where the
robbery took place.
This is the man
who is accused of robbing the Duncan
Main Street bank after he told police he didn't
feel he had any other choice.
"The
gentleman needed some help, down on his luck to the tenth degree and had no
where else to go," Detective Donny Foraker said.
Foraker said
after Netherton got the money he wasn't sure how long he'd getaway until he
found the taxi service.
"He told
me basically he was waiting to be picked up by us and when we didn't drive by immediately
he just walked over to the taxi cab and got a ride."
Foraker said fortunately
a patrol officer suspected that's exactly where Netherton headed.
"He said
have you seen this guy and they said yes, one of my drivers took off to OKC
with him."
When the driver
got the call that a robber was in his back seat Foraker said he didn't seem too
alarmed.
"He's an
older gentleman he kind of laughed about it and it was just another day to
him."
Foraker said
the only person shaken up by the call was Netherton himself.
"He told
us that he could hear the guy on the phone and knew it was over and said he
started to tell him to pull over and wait till the cops catch up to us."
Instead the
detective asked the driver to drop him off at an Oklahoma City restaurant where he was quickly
arrested.
"Two
troopers get out and while they are standing there a guy jumps out and said I'm
the guy you're looking for."
Foraker said
the OHP, an excellent data system and the quick thinking of their officers is
what led to a quick arrest.
"We are
all cops doesn't matter if you're wearing a trooper hat or patrol or
investigators hat, we are cops and hope our work catches up down the
road."
Netherton is in jail and is expected to face a high dollar bond. Police
say he is a resident of Oklahoma City
where he was headed and they have reason to believe he was headed to the
airport.
