A 41-year-old Kirkland man who tackled a bank robber during a heist at a downtown Bellevue bank was honored Wednesday, March 11 for his heroism by the Bellevue Police and the FBI today at Bellevue City Hall.
Kristopher Beal was taking care of some personal banking at the Bank of America inside the QFC at 10116 N.E. Eighth St. after 2 p.m. on Feb. 27, when he noticed the customer at the next teller’s window behaving strangely and the teller assisting that customer emptying her cash drawer.
“I was going into the bank to do a transaction and I saw a guy walking around and thought he looked a little odd. He was in front of me and stepped out of line to get a transaction sheet then got back in line behind me,” Beal recalled. “As I was doing my transaction he walked up to the right and pulled out a note. I saw the note and the teller’s face said it all. She atomically became very straight faced and began grabbing money out of the till.”
Beal knew something was wrong when the teller began grabbing the bills in clumps, not typical of how tellers count out money. As the teller reached for the twenties, Beal saw the man nod his head indicating he wanted those bills. Without being noticed, Beal made his way behind the man.
He then made eye contact with that teller and mouthed the words, “Are you being robbed?”
She nodded. Beal, an ex-Marine, stepped over and bear hugged the suspect from behind. When he attempted to struggle, Beal threw him to the floor and held him until Bellevue Police officers arrived moments later. The suspect was carrying a knife, pepper spray and a flare gun.
“The second I confirmed a robbery was taking place my instincts kicked in. I just thought, it’s over. Take him down,” Beal explained.
Bellevue Police normally advise against citizens putting themselves in harm’s way during a violent crime, but Beal had combat experience and, at 6 feet 4 inches and 200 pounds, a significant size advantage over the suspect.
Beal works in inventory control at Crate & Barrel in Bellevue and told police, “I work here, and I just didn’t want that happening in my city.”
Police Chief Linda Pillo applauded Beal’s bravery. “While we ask citizens to be vigilant and call 911 when they see something suspicious, I certainly respect Mr. Beal’s willingness to risk his own welfare to capture the bank robber. I can’t emphasize enough how much citizen involvement assists in the overall safety of our community.”
The Bellevue Police and FBI presented Beal with a Civilian Law Enforcement Merit Award.
Pillo shook Beal’s hand at City Hall and thanked him again.
“Your message was great, that this is your community and it was the right thing to do,” said Pillo, following a brief speech by Beal.
The suspect was interviewed and booked into King County Jail. According to Bellevue Police, he has been identified as Michael W. Jones and further details are being held pending charges by the King County Prosecutor’s Office. His court date is set for March 18 at King County Superior Court.
“It’s nice to be recognized for something that you did,” Beal said, holding a certificate of bravery given to him by the city of Bellevue. “This means a lot to me. This is my community and I’m honored to help make this a safer place for everyone to live.”
