Updated at 9:30 p.m. to add details, photo
PORTLAND — A Naples man was being held at the Cumberland County Jail on Tuesday night after a customer thwarted an attempted robbery at a Congress Street bank earlier in the day.
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Acting Portland Police Chief Mike Sauschuck said 31-year-old Benjamin Poirier entered the TD Bank branch at 481 Congress St. at about 4 p.m. and handed a teller a note demanding money.
Police said the suspect claimed to have a gun, but no weapon was displayed during the robbery.
As Poirier stepped away from the counter with an undetermined amount of cash, a customer tackled him, police said.
Sauschuck estimated that four people, including bank employees, held the robber on the lobby floor until Portland police officers arrived.
“It’s not something we endorse,” Sauschuck said, referring to the civilian’s actions and the possibility the suspect was armed.
A news release issued by Portland police Tuesday night said that Poirier was unconscious when officers arrived.
Poirier was taken to Maine Medical Center to be evaluated. He was later released and booked at the Cumberland County Jail on a charge of Class B robbery. His bail was set at $100,000 cash.
Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at: dhoey@pressherald.com
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