(March 8, 2010, updated Mar 9) -- LBReport.com, which provided team coverage and follow-up on Friday's (March 5) attempted armed robbery of the Los Altos area Farmers & Merchants Bank (2300 block Bellflower Blvd.) today provides an audio interview with the man who tackled the alleged armed gunman in the ELB/Los Altos F&M bank (2300 Bellflower Blvd.) and was shot in the leg during the events.
[Editor note: The day after publishing our story, we learned that KTLA/5 had an in-person interview with Messrs. Camp and Jones telecast on March 5. We're glad to credit them and reporter Chip Yost for their work. To view their report, click here.
His name is Rich Camp. He's a LB resident. He's a small general contractor, a customer at the bank who just happened to be there when the events occurred.
His words are inspiring...and speak for themselves below.
On the day of the attempted robbery, David Jones, another customer in the bank who witnessed what was taking place and joined in taking the alleged gunman to the ground, said he considered the wounded man's actions to be genuinely heroic.
Mr. Jones denied that his own actions were heroic [we argued the point] and said he planned to visit the wounded man in the hospital that night...and he did so.
The next day at our request, he conveyed word to the wounded man that we'd like to speak with him if he'd like to speak with us. This morning (March 8), he called us.
Mr. Camp emphasized repeatedly that he's not seeking publicity and called us because we said we'd like to speak with him. When we said he acted heroically, he brushed it off.
LBReport.com will have further on Mr. Camp in subsequent stories. For now, you can hear Mr. Camp in his own words. (The audio is minimally edited).
To launch LBReport.com's audio, click here
As previously reported on LBReport.com, an armed man encountered by Messrs. Camp and Jones entered the ELB/Los Altos Farmers & Merchants Bank branch in the 2300 block of Bellflower Blvd shortly before 10:30 a.m.
FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller on March 4 identified the suspect in LBPD custody as Robert Gordon Lockwood, 51, of Long Beach. Ms. Eimiller said it's expected that federal charges will be filed against Lockwood in the coming days. She stopped short of conclusively identifying suspect Lockwood as the "sports bike bandit" sought in connection with a number of ELB area bank robberies, but noted some seeming similarities said evidence is being investigated.
