Rome Police said on Monday morning E911 received a call regarding a suspicious male, later identified as 35 year -old Mark Thirston Tate, with a gun inside the Heritage First Bank located on Broad Street. The caller was a bank employee who observed the subject in the lobby with a gun tucked into his waistband in the small of his back.
Upon seeing this, the employee feared that the male may be about to commit a robbery, prompting her to call the police. A heavy police response resulted due to the fact that the bank is across the street from the police department. Officers responded and entered the bank, locating the male subject, who was cooperative and compliant during the encounter.
A black air cartridge BB/pellet gun was located in the male’s waistband, along with a bag of suspected methamphetamine.
Detectives interviewed the suspect, along with bank personnel, and determined that no intent to commit robbery existed. Tate was in the bank for verified legitimate banking reasons and had forgotten about the BB gun in his waist.
Tate was arrested and charged for VGCSA-Possession of Methamphetamine and transported to the Floyd County Jail. There was never any robbery attempt or threat of violence during this entire incident and no one was injured.