911 Calls Help Tell Story Of Deadly Eufaula Bank Robbery

<p>For the first time, we’re getting a chance to hear the dramatic response to a deadly Eufaula bank robbery. The entire ordeal took just over a minute.</p>

Monday, January 25th 2016, 7:32 pm

By: Tess Maune

911 Calls Help Tell Story Of Deadly Eufaula Bank Robbery

For the first time, we’re getting a chance to hear the dramatic response to a deadly Eufaula bank robbery.

The entire ordeal took just over a minute and ended with the bank president dead, another employee shot and a customer taken hostage.

The police chief said Cedric Norris walked in the bank, went to the president's office and shot him without saying a word. Then, the chief said Norris got money, shot an employee who refused to leave with him then dragged a customer out the front door as his hostage.

Police said all that only took Norris one minute and three seconds.

“We've had a shooting at Bank of Eufaula and we need an ambulance. We have people hurt,” you hear in recently released 911 calls.

The first frantic 911 call came into the Eufaula Police Department 28 seconds after Norris left the Bank of Eufaula.

Police said Norris was dressed like a woman with a ponytail and scarf covering his head.

Investigators said he forced his hostage, Julie Huff, to drive his getaway car - but word of a hostage situation had not been reported to officers, yet.

“Black female, white female, white SUV. Got two down at the bank,” the dispatcher said in the call.

Four minutes and 20 seconds after Norris left the bank, Eufaula Police Officer Casey Torix and an OHP trooper spotted the suspect's vehicle. Torix radioed back to dispatch.

Officer: “PD, myself, and a trooper unit are behind a vehicle matching that description now on 69 northbound coming up on Onapa.”
Dispatch: “OK, black female is gonna be the suspect. She's gonna have the white female as a hostage.”
Officer: “There is two occupants in this vehicle.”

Call logs show 30 seconds after the call went out that a hostage was with the suspect, a trooper used a maneuver that caused the suspect's SUV to crash.

Investigators said Norris got out and immediately started firing at the two officers on scene.

”Start EMS here. Shots fired,” the officer said.

Officers fired back - Huff was still in the driver's seat at that time.

At some point in the middle of the shootout, Eufaula Police Chief Don Murray said Huff got out of the car. Murray said Norris pulled her to him.

“Was using her as a human shield, still firing at officers,” he said.

Calls indicate, even then, officers still weren't certain Huff was a hostage. Investigators said the way Norris grabbed her made it appear she might have been armed.

“There's been multiple shots fired. Two of the suspects are hit. We believe one of them's possibly a hostage,” an officer said.

Though hit several times, Huff could talk. An officer on scene at the bank confirmed to the team eight miles away that she was an innocent victim.

Officer on chase scene: "It's Julie.”
Officer at bank: “That is the hostage.”

In all, between the suspect and officers, around 50 rounds were fired.

Timeline Released by Eufaula Police:

09:31:25 Suspect entered the bank from the west door.
09:32:28 Suspect fled the bank with a hostage.
09:32:56 First call to E911 received, officer dispatched
09:34:47 Officer Martin on scene.
09:35:12 Detective Torix given vehicle description and direction of travel.
09:35:52 Eleventh and final E911 call to dispatch.
09:36:48 Chief Murray on scene, Detective Torix initiated pursuit of suspect.
09:40:18 OHP 588 takes lead on pursuit.
09:42:18 Tactical vehicle interdiction initiated. Suspect crashed.
09:48:32 Torix reporting numerous shots fired, two people down, need ambulances. All officers OK.
10:01:00 Inner and outer perimeter set at bank, FBI notified and en-route. Request OSBI to conduct officer involved shooting on behalf of Eufaula PD.
10:15:41 OSBI en-route.
10:54:18 FBI on scene to begin processing evidence.
10:55:00 OSBI on scene at Onapa Road, processing evidence.
17:08:35 All units cleared from Onapa Road.
20:41:55 All personnel cleared from bank.

Murray said his officers are trained for days like last Thursday, and willing to put their lives on the line every day of the year.

“He protected his life, he protected his fellow officer's life and he was trying to protect the life of a citizen,” he said.

The chief said he believes Norris would have killed his hostage if officers hadn't stopped him and fired back.

The funeral for bank president, Randy Peterson, is Tuesday in Eufaula.