Police in Texas say a woman spread gasoline and lighter fluid on the floor of a Dallas-area bank during an attempted robbery, then used a small child as a shield when officers tried to arrest her.
A pedestrian recorded the extraordinary moment officers were able to pull the baby from the woman’s hands during the dramatic standoff outside the bank.
According to police, officers were called to a Bank of America branch around 1:24 p.m. on Wednesday after 36-year-old Evelyn Misumi poured lighter fluid on the lobby floor, demanding cash. When officers arrived on scene, police say Misumi attempted to flee to her car.
“Police elected not to draw weapons as no immediate danger to themselves or surrounding individuals was apparent. They did, however, attempted to impede her escape by tasing her,” the police statement reads. “When that proved unsuccessful, officers used pepper spray on the woman.”
Plano, Texas, resident Gloria Caroline recorded the tense standoff on his phone, including the moment officers rushed to grab the baby as he was being used as a “human shield,” according to police.
Murphy Police Chief Arthur Cotten tells the Associated Press that Misumi is charged with aggravated robbery and child endangerment. Misumi was later booked into the Collin County jail, charged with robbery and endangering a child.
Chief Cotten told the Associated Press that no cash was taken from the bank during the standoff.
Out of an “abundance of caution,” the baby was taken to Children’s Medical Center in order to ensure the pepper spray used on Misumi did not have any adverse effects on the child. Investigators are working to determine the child’s identity and relationship, if any, to Misumi.
— With files from the Associated Press