Tennessee executive held hostage at gunpoint and forced to rob his own bank

Tanner Harris's wife and his baby son were also held by the robbers

Abbey and Tanner Harris

Police in Tennessee are hunting for two men who held an executive and his family hostage and forced him to rob the bank where he works.

Tanner Harris, the first vice president of SmartBank, was held alongside his family inside their home in Knoxville.

Two masked men - armed with handguns and a rifle - blindfolded and handcuffed Mr Harris and his wife, Abbey. They then forced the couple and their five-month-old son into the family car and drove them to the bank where Mr Harris works.

Mr Harris was made to take an undisclosed sum of money from the bank as his wife and child remained in the car, it was reported. The two gunmen then drove off with his wife and child, before abandoning them still in the car on a dirt road in West Knox County, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.

Mrs Harris was able to drive to get help. The family was unhurt in the ordeal.

FBI special agent Ed Reinhold said it was possible the gunmen were behind the kidnapping of a credit union chief executive in April.

He told WATE-TV: “There are very strong similarities between the two robberies. We haven't determined that positively, but it is a good possibility.”

He added: “The bank executive has access to [a] greater amount of funds within the bank, not just what's in the teller drawers, which is what your typical robber is going to get.”

The suspects are were both white males. One was around 6ft 1in tall, while the other was 5ft 9ins with a stocky build and police believe they may be related, Fox News reported.