Virginia Beach, Va. - Virginia Beach Police officer Nicole Johannesen has a lot to be proud of.
After more than five years on the force, her quick decision making led to the arrest of a man wanted for robbing a bank.
“This is probably going to be the biggest piece of my career so far,” she says.
Johannesen made a routine traffic stop at Chaseway Street and Holland Road on Wednesday morning.
As she approached the car, dispatch put the call out about a bank robbery that just happened nearby.
“It then started to formulate in my head that I might possibly have somebody who may be involved,” she says.
Beach Police say 39-year-old Brandon Wise wore a mask when he robbed Chartway Federal Credit Union on Holland Road. Wise fled on foot.
At some point, he got into a car. He was one of three in the car that Officer Johannesen stopped.
Officer Johannesen didn’t know it at the time, but she became suspicious when one man got out and ran.
“It wasn’t a light bulb, if you will. But it was when he decided to run. It was a split second decision to ensue the suspect,” she says.
Officer Johannesen and another officer caught Wise when he ran into a nearby ditch.
She says she is proud of herself but she didn’t celebrate or feel special about what she did, as it is all part of her job.
“I did go home and have a normal night, made myself a normal dinner and went outside and watched my child play with his best friend,” she says.
Wise is charged with robbery and wearing a mask. He is currently being held at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center without bond.
