'Tower Guy' Accused Of Robbing Tulsa Bank

Friday, September 14th 2018, 12:14 pm

By: Dee Duren

Tulsa Police quickly made an arrest in a bank robbery Friday morning, September 14. Officers were called to the Arvest Bank at 9701 East 31st Street just before 11 a.m.

Police said a K-9 officer tracked down the suspect as the man tried to board a taxi at 31st and 89th East Avenue. The taxi driver was not involved in the crime, according to an officer at the scene.

The suspect is familiar to Green Country resident. William Boyd Sturdivant was once known as Tower Guy. He spent several days camping out on a communications tower in 2011.

8/16/2015 Related Story: A Look Back At Tulsa's Infamous 'Tower Guy'

The officer said no one was injured.

"When we stopped him he had a large sum of cash in his pockets, and that's what I have here in my hand," said Sergeant Bryan Blair, TPD. "I don't know how much money I have here, but it was cash money."

Sturdivant, 32, was taken into custody without incident, police said. An employee at the bank positively identified him as the robber, a news release states.

He was booked on a complaint of first degree robbery by force or fear after former felony conviction and is being held on a $100,000 bond.

Sturdivant gained national attention when he climbed the radio tower and stayed there for six days in the August heat. It was one of the longest standoffs in Tulsa history, totaling more than 128 hours.

Finally, retired TPD crisis negotiator Tyrone Lynn was able to convince Sturdivant it was time to come down, helping the then 25-year-old man into a bucket truck.

News On 6 interviewed Lynn after the standoff ended.

8/16/2011 Related Story: Man Involved In Tulsa Tower Standoff Surrenders