Fayetteville Tech security help catch robbery suspect
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Chief Joe Bailer put Fayetteville Technical Community College on lockdown Wednesday evening, enacting a crisis communications plan amid an uncertain report of a robbery and a possible armed suspect on campus.
"It worked out perfectly," said Bailer. "Everything worked the way it was supposed to."
The outcome was less dramatic, but FTCC security helped detain the suspect, who ended up being mild-mannered and unarmed.
Around 10:30 p.m., Fayetteville Police report Ian Kirk robbed the Baldino's along Fort Bragg Road. An unidentified employee told ABC11 that Kirk had scoped the restaurant all day and snatched a money bag out of the manager's hand right after closing.
It happened in the Baldino's parking lot.
At the same time FPD alerted FTCC security about a report of shots fired in the Tiny Town children's store parking lot. Tiny Town and Baldino's sit across the street from one another, and a FTCC campus entrance.
Bailer said Kirk ran straight onto the campus.
"He's full speed wide open. He's running, said Bailer, pointing out the path.
Bailer and seven other campus security officers cornered Kirk, who tried to crawl under a tiny car parked behind one of the campus buildings.
"He gets up under the van here, and tries to stash the money underneath," Bailer said, pointing in between a wheel space.
Kirk didn't put up a fuss, and he was not armed. FPD arrested him a short time later. He's in the Cumberland County jail charged with common law robbery and possession of stolen goods.
Bailer, noting FTCC is main thoroughfare for city traffic, said this was a perfect example of how the crisis communications plan worked perfectly. His security team isn't just about parking lot monitoring. They have to be ready for anything.
"We did have a case awhile back where there was actually another gentleman who was hiding in the dumpster in a bowling alley, and running from the police in a possible robbery, who was armed and the weapon was found on campus," said Bailer. "You just never know what you have."
