Copyright M Live Michigan
SAGINAW, MI — A Michigan woman has filed a lawsuit against Mercantile Bank, alleging the financial institution repeatedly ignored her complaints of unsafe working conditions. Her superiors’ negligence led to her being robbed, beaten, and raped by a man during a lengthy standoff, she alleges. Her ordeal only ended when a Michigan State Police sharpshooter killed her assailant. Attorney Philip L. Ellison filed suit on the woman’s behalf in Saginaw County Circuit Court on Sept. 23. The woman is named in the suit as Jane Doe due to the sensitive nature of the matter, Ellison said. Grand Rapids-based Mercantile Bank Corp. is the suit’s sole defendant. Nichole Kladder, chief marketing officer for Mercantile, said it is the bank’s policy not to discuss pending litigation. “However,” Kladder said, “we want to assure you that Mercantile Bank prioritizes the safety and security of both our employees and customers.” The woman has worked as a business development banker at the Mercantile Bank Saginaw Virtual Branch and Lending Office, 5444 State St., for about two years, Ellison said. The suit states she complained about the branch lacking adequate security and staffing on at least six occasions to as many individuals. The suit alleges the branch had an outdated alarm system, insufficient barriers between staff and patrons, and no exterior surveillance system, security guard, panic button, or windows. The woman’s personal office door was incapable of being locked, the suit states. Mercantile responded to the woman’s concerns by hiring a local contractor to look into improving the branch’s security, the suit alleges. The bank opted not to carry through with the renovations when the estimate came back at about $14,000, the suit states. Mercantile’s “supervisory staff indicated that it only desired to spend ‘a few hundred dollars,’” the suit states. “As a result of [Mercantile]’s woefully inadequate security measures, [Doe]’s attendance at the State Street branch each day inherently carried the risk of serious injury and death.” Doe was closing the branch on June 27 when 31-year-old Quinton M. Allen entered and asked to open an account. Doe told Allen he could do so online and went to her office to write down the website address. Allen followed her into her office and began assaulting her with a weapon. Doe’s fiancé, who was on the phone with her when Allen entered, called 911. When police arrived and started erecting a perimeter around the bank, Allen told the victim to tell them to leave or she “would regret it,” reports state. Allen told her if a police negotiator tried steering the conversation in a way he didn’t like, he would beat her, reports state. Allen then “destroyed [her] office” and barricaded the windows and doors, reports state. He also forced Doe to block a window with a refrigerator. Police withdrew from the parking lot at Allen’s request but maintained a perimeter. Over the next several hours, Allen robbed the woman of $1,000 she withdrew from an ATM, jewelry, and vehicle keys, and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. As the incident wore on, negotiators agreed to bring Allen a 24-ounce bottle of Faygo Red Pop and money on a drone. When the drone approached, Allen donned a mask and removed the door barricades. A shirtless Allen appeared in front of a glass door, holding his hostage. A Third District Emergency Support Team (EST) member located 115 yards away on the roof of the AutoZone Auto Parts store fired one shot from his departmental .308-caliber rifle, striking Allen in the head and killing him, reports state. The hostage then ran outside and police rushed in, covering her in a blanket and escorting her to their vehicles. Doe was on paid leave for a time following the incident, Ellison said. She has declined to apply for workers’ compensation, though she remains eligible to do so until June 27, 2027. “We feel it doesn’t provide anywhere close to the compensation she’s owed for the bank’s shortcomings,” Ellison said. “The bank had numerous emails and communications about how unsafe the bank was, and they said they didn’t want to spend the money to protect their employees.” The suit is seeking a minimum of $25,000 in damages. Mercantile has until Friday, Oct. 31, to respond to Ellison’s suit. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office reviewed investigators’ findings and on Oct. 24 announced the trooper who fired the fatal shot acted lawfully in Doe’s defense. The Mercantile branch has not reopened since the incident and external signage has been removed.
