Police recognize a familiar face on bank robbery footage
By Andrea Gregory

A man with a criminal past was arrested for robbing Central Bank.
Police caught Paul Nolan in his Somerville home on Friday and are charging him with armed robbery.
Nolan allegedly walked into the bank at 399 Highland Ave., planning a hold-up on Sept. 23. Police say he matches the description of a man who passed a note to a teller stating “This is a robbery.”
According to the police report the note also said he was armed with a gun and willing to shoot people if his demands were not met. The teller told police his robbery letter said, “No dye pack and no tricks.”

The teller handed over an undisclosed amount. Nolan allegedly started for the door. When he turned around to give the teller a last look, he spotted a bill he had left behind and went back to grab it before making his escape.
Detective Kevin Shackelford was among the authorities to respond to the call. A witness told Shackelford he had seen a man run out of the bank with something in his hand. The witness said the man got into a dark vehicle that was double parked on Highland Avenue. The witness had been riding a bike and was almost hit by the possible getaway car. The car turned out to be stolen out of Medford.
Though the car could have eventually led police to Nolan, it was video images that let Shackelford know right away who he might be looking for.
“Upon looking at the still photos, I immediately noticed that the suspect resembled a Mr. Paul Nolan,” Shackelford wrote in the police report. “Mr. Nolan usually wears a similar Kangol (sic) style, wool hat. I have known Mr. Nolan since childhood, and I have arrested Mr. Nolan in the past, and he is well known by the Somerville Police Department. Mr. Nolan is known to be drug dependent.”