Osyka’s First Bank was robbed just after opening Thursday morning.
Police Chief Brian Mullins said a white male in his early- to mid-40s entered First Bank at 9:14 a.m. The man went to the first teller he saw and brandished a small .45 caliber handgun with an extended clip attached.
“He was polite,” Mullins said, “He told the tellers ‘This is a bank robbery,’ and showed them his gun and then put the weapon back into his pocket.”
The man then put on a mask to cover his face, but tellers had already seen his face.
“He then gave each teller a black bag and told them to give him all the money,” he said. Mullins said the man then demanded one of the tellers give him the keys to her car, a white 2009 four-door Nissan Maxima with Louisiana license plate SYF722.
The man escaped with an undetermined amount of money. During the robbery, a teller was able to alert the police department by pressing a silentg alarm button.
Police responded to the call at 9:15 a.m. A manhunt is underway to capture the robber and bring him back to Pike County.
“He was last seen headed west on Highway 584 toward the interstate. We don’t know if he went north, south or if he’s in Gillsburg,” Mullins said.
Mullins said there were three tellers in the bank, and there were no customers inside at the time of the robbery.
Mullins said the money did not have exploding dye packets attached.
“We don’t use those anymore. I know you see it in the movies when the dye explodes everywhere, but no, there’s not a packet attached,” Mullins said.
Mullins said the serial numbers on the money are traceable.
The robber is heavy-set and has blond hair. He was wearing a black and white hat with a Chevrolet emblem and white lettering around the brim, black shirt with a white undershirt, dark blue coveralls, black shoes with white soles and black gloves.
There were no injuries during the robbery. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pike County Sheriff’s Department and Osyka Police Department are investigating.
Anyone who has seen this man or knows his whereabouts should call the Osyka Police Department at 542-5041, Pike County Sheriff’s Department at 783-5468 or Crimestoppers at 684-0033.
