U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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| In Reply, Please Refer to Release No. |
219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
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September 18, 2003 FBI to Honor Three in Bank Robbery Arrest Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is pleased to announce that three Chicago area men have been selected to receive the Director's award for "Exceptional Service in the Public Interest." This prestigious award is being bestowed upon Michael Nichols, age 48; Thomas Keevers, age 40 and Norberto Aguirre, age 35, all of whom are from Chicago. The awards stem from their participation in the apprehension of suspected bank robber Reginald J. Owens, on August 18th of this year. Owens has been charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago with the robbery of the Bank One branch, located at 1825 West Lawrence Avenue in Chicago. According to the complaint, after robbing the bank of over $13,000, Owens fled on foot. He was pursued from the bank by an off-duty Chicago Police officer, who was working inside as a security guard. The three award winners saw the initial struggle and gave chase. They wound up catching Owens, a short distance away, and were able to subdue him following a brief struggle. Nichols and Aguirre both suffered injures during the struggle, which required medical attention. In announcing these awards, Mr. Kneir said, "The assistance of the public has always been vital to effective law enforcement. However, the actions of these three good Samaritans went well beyond what is expected. They acted without regard to their own safety in apprehending a dangerous criminal." EDITOR'S NOTE: An awards ceremony will be held tomorrow (Friday) at 11:00 AM in the Chicago FBI offices, located on the 9th floor of the Dirksen Federal Building, 219 South Dearborn Street in Chicago. The media is invited to attend. |
