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Off-Duty Officer Thwarts Stoughton Robbery Attempt

STOUGHTON (CBS) - A would-be bank robber from East Bridgewater may be the unluckiest bank robber alive.

Stoughton police say James Lydon walked into the Stoughton Cooperative Bank on Rt. 27 yesterday and handed the teller a note demanding money.

But, just as Lydon was leaving, Stoughton Police Detective Erik Feist was coming in to do some banking before his shift.

WBZ-TV's Bill Shields reports.

"He looked like a normal guy leaving the bank, so I held the door open for him," says Det. Feist, " but as I was crossing the threshold of the door, an employee was pointing at the guy, and yelling that he just robbed the bank."

Raw surveillance video of Stoughton robbery attempt

In a split second, Feist went from being bank customer to cop. "I had my weapon with me, since I was on the way to work, so I chased him out to the parking lot, and identified myself, pulled my weapon, and ordered him to the ground."

It was all in a day's work for Feist.  His boss though, was very impressed.

"Not everyone can process that information so quickly," said Chief Paul Shastany. "He held the door for the robber, to boot."

Of course, seconds after holding the door for what he thought was just a customer, Det. Feist had Lydon on the ground handcuffed.

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