A posse of heroic bystanders foiled a robbery at a Midtown bank – chasing and tackling a man who had snatched $2,000 from a woman, police said.
The 26-year-old woman was counting her money in the Citibank at 42nd Street and Madison Avenue at 12:45 p.m. Thursday when a man cops identified as Shawn Clemens, 29, walked up behind her and grabbed the cash.
George Pakenham and co-workers Jeff Edgar, Fred Ramos, Rafael Rodriguez and Payton Smith were making deposits when they heard the woman scream: “Help me! That man just stole my money!”
The good Samaritans sprang into action as Clemens ran out of the bank, police said.
“We just started running after him, and we were screaming, ‘Stop that man!'” said Pakenham.
“He was darting in between the traffic and pedestrians on Madison Avenue, and we were right behind him,” said the 51-year-old Manhattan man.
Clemens ran up 43rd Street to Fifth Avenue, where Pakenham tackled him and then Edgar held him down.
“It was really wild,” said Pakenham.
“I clipped him at the knees with a body block, and he stumbled and fell to the ground. Jeff jumped on him and then [the suspect] bit him in the finger.”
Edgar, 30, a Desert Storm veteran, dramatically recounted how he wrestled with Clemens.
“I just locked my arm on his,” said Edgar, a volunteer firefighter in Ocean County, N.J.
“He was fighting me pretty hard and screaming. This guy was crazy. He bit me on my finger. I was just glad to help the woman get her money back.”
The heroes, who work for a company that sets up conferences, pinned Clemens down until cops arrived and arrested him.
The money was returned to the unidentified woman, who cried tears of joy.
Clemens, of The Bronx, was charged with attempted robbery.
“These people were heroes,” said police spokeswoman Carmen Melendez.
“They were really brave. They tackled Clemens and held him until police came.”
The men said they don’t consider themselves heroes.
“We just reacted,” said Pakenham.
“It was an adrenaline thing. We did what we had to do.”
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