Alleged bank robber didn't notice police

Boston officer on security detail arrests suspect

A Boston police officer escorted Adam Grennan from the Mt. Washington Bank on Gallivan Boulevard yesterday after the Hull man allegedly passed a note to a teller demanding money. Grennan drew immediate suspicion when he entered the bank. (Bill Brett for the Boston Globe)

A man passed a note to a bank teller yesterday in a Dorchester bank, demanding large bills and no "funny money," police said.

Little did he know, Officer Kamau Pritchard was standing right behind him, in uniform, about to pull out his service weapon and place the man under arrest.

"He doesn't realize I'm behind him," said Pritchard, 30, who has worked two years for the Boston Police Department. "He's focused on actually getting the money."

Adam Grennan, 39, of Hull, is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow in Dorchester District Court on a charge of unarmed bank robbery.

Grennan drew immediate suspicion when he entered Mt. Washington Bank at 489 Gallivan Blvd. at about 10:44 a.m., wearing large white gloves, an oversized hooded parka, and a scarf that covered his face, Pritchard said.

Pritchard, who was working a paid security detail at the bank, had stepped away from the lobby to drink a cup of tea in a back office. But he could see Grennan walk in through surveillance monitors in the office.

At the same time, an assistant manager started banging on the office door, warning Pritchard that a suspicious character looked like he was about to attempt a robbery. Eight bank employees became nervous, Pritchard said.

By the time Pritchard came back to the lobby, Grennan had allegedly passed the note. The teller stalled, before handing over a stack of bills, Pritchard said. "Then [the teller] starts saying, 'He's trying to rob me.' "

As Grennan turned around, Pritchard had his gun drawn and arrested him. The bank was closed for several hours as officers flooded the scene. Grennan was searched but was unarmed, according to the police report.

The incident was among three attempted bank robberies around Boston yesterday, police said. Suspects fled before police could arrest them in the two other cases, police said.

Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.