A captain with the fire department in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is under arrest because police say he robbed two banks and stole nearly $320,000.
Capt. Jerry Brown, who has been with the fire department since 2002, is accused by police of robbing a bank in March and another in May.
His lawyer says Brown will be arraigned next month and the allegations came as a shock to many.
“If I had somebody call me and say your client, Jerry Brown, just saved a family from a burning house, I would have said, yes, that’s what he does. He’s that guy,” Brown’s lawyer, Bransford Shoemake, told CNN. “For years this guy’s coached his kids in sports, he’s been on various community civic projects. This is totally out of character for him. This doesn’t fit his profile.”
Brown allegedly robbed the Oklahoma Capital Bank in Skiatook on March 12. The captain, who had an account at the bank, was recognized by one of the employees from the way he walked and his muscular build, according to an affidavit provided to CNN by the Skiatook Police Department.
The second robbery occurred on May 7 at the Exchange Bank in Sperry. Witnesses for both robberies said the suspect wore khaki pants, black gloves with a yellow logo, and used a black backpack to collect the money, the affidavit said.
Brown was arrested in the parking lot of his fire station Monday and was released on a $50,000 bond two days later, Shoemake said. He is scheduled for arraignment June 18.
The Tulsa Fire Department placed Brown on administrative leave.
“We expect our employees to act in a manner that continuously builds upon public trust we have worked so hard to obtain,” it said.