By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The man who was shot in the leg during an alleged bank robbery attempt last week pleaded not guilty in Manhattan court on Tuesday, the Daily News reported.
John "Johnny Shades" Stolarz, 69, had been released from federal prison for just a day when he allegedly entered a Chase Bank branch in Midtown and demanded cash from a woman at the customer service desk, according to police and the Wall Street Journal.
When the customer service agent explained that she didn't have the money (that the tellers with the cash were on the second floor), the white-haired, knife-wielding Stolarz fled the bank on foot, passing through Penn Station, before being confronted by police, according to the NYPD.
Police say they told Stolarz to drop his weapon and fired twice when he refused, shooting him once in the leg.
In court on Tuesday, Stolarz, whose rap-sheet dates back to 1959 and includes at least seven bank robberies and one prison break, appeared in a wheel chair, the News said.
He pleaded not guilty to bank robbery and brandishing a knife before being ordered to remain in custody without bail until his next court date on Nov. 15, according to the paper.
As Stolarz left the court, he was overheard expressing his gratitude to the officer who pushed his wheelchair.
"Thank you, young man," Stolarz told the 65-year-old federal marshal, according to the News.
