Courtesy: Jordan Hashem

Derrill Ewans, left, was handcuffed and detained outside the bank.

FRISCO — As Frisco police launch a formal investigation after a bank customer was detained based on a teller's suspicions, the customer has now hired a lawyer.

It all started when a Wells Fargo personal banker called 911.

"We have two males that walked into our branch, possibility of a gun in his pocket," the teller said. "He's sitting down with a personal banker."

A second personal banker then played down the ordeal to the 911 operator and asked for either a plain-clothed officer to take a look or have an officer simply drive by.

The banker told the operator there was not a robbery in progress.

"We're talking to him about a loan that he's doing and everything else and one of our tellers thought that he had a weapon on him," the banker said.

An amateur photographer shot video that showed police enter the bank, handcuff Derrill Ewans and force him to the ground. Officers also surrounded a car where Ewans' girlfriend and her 3-year-old daughter were waiting for him. They handcuffed the mother and put the mother and child into a squad car.

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Ewans said he felt "completely violated."

Ewans and his lawyer, Texas Senator Royce West, listened to the 911 call Monday.

"None of these things they're saying right here sound like anything like what took place," Ewans said of the call.

West said he is concerned how Ewans' visit to the bank turned into what it did.

"I think at that particular branch, they're not used to seeing African Americans in there," West said. "And I guess the suspicion that first came up is that he had a gun on him, and I just can't understand what that was all about."

Frisco police said they had no choice but to respond the way they did to the call of a suspicious man who possible may have a gun inside the bank. They said they could not take the word of the personal banker that things were okay inside without knowing if he was under duress.

Ewans said he still hasn't received any explanations from the bank or the police department as to why he was considered armed and suspicious.

"I feel completely violated," Ewans said.

A Wells Fargo spokesperson said there were a number of factors that caused their employees to be concerned and call the police, but wouldn't go into details about what those factors were due to privacy and security issues.

Bank executives and Frisco police said they would like to talk with Ewans about the incident.

E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com