Faygo soda used as bait, ending bank hostage standoff in Michigan, cops say

A man holding a bank worker hostage was fatally shot by Michigan officers, who baited him using Faygo soda, according to police and news reports.

The incident happened Friday, June 27, at Mercantile Bank in Saginaw Township, leading to an hours-long standoff, according to Michigan State Police.

The 31-year-old suspect entered the bank after closing hours and tried cashing a fraudulent check, MLive.com reported. When he was denied, he attacked the worker and demanded money while armed with a sharp object, troopers told the news outlet.

He then held the woman hostage for around three hours as officers stormed the scene and began negotiating with him, according to MLive.com.

Troopers used a drone to deliver a 24 oz. Faygo Red Pop soda to the accused suspect, WNEM reported. When he went to retrieve the soda and was seen through the building’s glass, a trooper fired a single shot that killed the 31-year-old man, state police told the news outlet.

He was identified as Quinton Marquese Allen and was from the Detroit area, according to WNEM.

The woman who was held hostage “bolted out a door of the building” and officers entered the bank, finding Allen who was pronounced dead at the scene, WJRT reported.

State police said the worker was treated at a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

“Thanks to the swift and professional response of local and state law enforcement, the situation was resolved,” Mercantile Bank said in a statement. “All Mercantile Bank employees are safe, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.”

Saginaw Township is about a 120-mile drive northwest from Detroit.

This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 7:58 AM with the headline "Faygo soda used as bait, ending bank hostage standoff in Michigan, cops say."