DeKalb County Firefighter Thwarts Alleged Bank Robber

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Surveillance video from Chase bank on Stone Mountain HIghway shows Detective Corey Smith chasing after an alleged bank robber. 

A firefighter became a crime-fighter when he stopped an alleged bank robber.

Detective Corey Smith said he was at the Chase bank on Stone Mountain Highway to open an account Wednesday morning.  A man ran out of the store carrying an entire drawer of money and Smith snapped into action.

"It was kind of almost like slow-motion," explained Smith.  "When it happened, I want to say instinct took over and before I knew it, I was running behind the guy." 

Smith said he chased the man all the way behind a neighboring business and stopped him.

"He was shocked.  I don't think he knew I was chasing him until I caught him," Smith added.

Detective Smith took the man back to the bank and handed him over to Gwinnett Police.

Officers arrested Kenneth Nettles of Marietta and charged him with robbery. 

According to a police report, Nettles did not have a weapon, but did have $3,621 in cash stuffed into his pockets. 

Smith said he did not expect all the attention, because he was just doing his job as a sworn law enforcement officer.  But it is a story he plans to tell for years to come. 

"It's just something to say, 'Hey, guess what I did?'  My mother's proud of me," he laughed.