http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1179304456284960.xml&coll...
Bank robbery witness praised
Authorities say `good Samaritan' bought deputies time
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
ROBERT K. GORDON and RAHKIA NANCE
News staff writers
The clock inside Chris Chappell's SUV read 9:03 as he pulled into the
Wachovia bank branch Monday morning on Bessemer's Ninth Avenue.
He had visited his mother at Medical West hospital, dropped in at Wal-Mart
and then made a quick stop at the bank to get $40 in change to take to
work in Adger in west Jefferson County.
Just after Chappell entered the bank, another man walked in.
He was wearing a sky blue shirt, striped tie, khaki pants, baseball cap,
sneakers and sunglasses, police and witnesses say.
William Merriweather Jr. also was carrying a 9 mm Glock semi-automatic
pistol. He took money. He took lives. But he didn't get away.
Here's what witnesses and police investigators say happened during a
terrifying six minutes.
