INDIANAPOLIS (UPI) — Indianapolis police say a 54-year-old mailman was shot in the face when he attempted to stop a bank robber fleeing the scene of the crime.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Lt. Jeffrey Duhamell said letter carrier Robert Norman was in stable condition after his attempt to capture the bank robber ended with a gunshot wound, The Indianapolis Star said Friday.
“He knew a robbery was taking place,” Duhamell said of the brave citizen. “He came around the corner as the robber came out of the bank.”
Police arrested a 42-year-old suspect, identified as Brook Abebe, an immigrant from Ethiopia, following a short police chase.
Abebe, who is in custody at an area hospital, faces charges of attempted murder, robbery and carrying a handgun without a license.
Kim Yates, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service in Indianapolis, expressed support for the injured Norman.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” Yates told the Star. “We’re wishing for his speedy recovery.”