The case began with a report of a shooting and later turned on a stabbing injury.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A Bank of America employee was wounded during an afternoon attack at an East Brainerd branch, where police say a customer punched him, stabbed him and fired rounds that missed.
The arrest of Ladarryl Martin, 38, left investigators sorting through a violent scene inside a bank, a suspect’s unusual statement and a medical finding that changed the first account of the employee’s injury. Martin was jailed on attempted second-degree murder and firearm charges after the April 22 encounter.
The employee was 28 and working at the Gunbarrel Road branch when the attack occurred. He was not identified by police, a common step when authorities are protecting a victim’s privacy in a violent crime case. The worker had been assisting Martin with a safety deposit box, according to an affidavit described by local reports. That detail places the encounter in a setting where employees often handle access, identification and secure rooms as part of normal bank work. Police have not said how long the employee and Martin were together before the violence started. They also have not said whether any warning signs were reported before the first punch, stab or gunshot.
Officers were sent to the 2100 block of Gunbarrel Road shortly after 2 p.m. after a call reported a person had been shot. The first officers found two key parts of the scene in different places: Martin in the parking lot and the employee in the business lobby. Police initially believed the worker had a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Hamilton County EMS took him to a hospital, where doctors determined he had been stabbed, not shot. That finding gave investigators a clearer medical record, but it did not remove gunfire from the case. Police said Martin fired several rounds during the attack, though none of the shots hit the employee.
The employee told officers Martin became very angry for no apparent reason while being helped with the safety deposit box, according to reports on the affidavit. Police later summarized the sequence in direct terms, saying Martin became upset with the victim, punched him, stabbed him and fired several rounds. The department has not released a fuller account explaining whether the stabbing happened before or after the shots. It has not said whether the victim tried to flee, whether other employees intervened or whether customers were nearby. Those gaps matter because prosecutors may have to show intent, sequence and risk to others inside the bank.
Martin’s account to police introduced a different kind of uncertainty. According to the affidavit described in local coverage, he said he remembered going to the bank to request access to his safety deposit box. He said he remembered being in a room with workers, but then his memory jumped to a later moment when he was going over a half door with a gun in his hand. He said the gun had been racked, so he knew he had fired it. He also said he was trying to stop people from going into the bank because he thought someone could be dead. Authorities have not said whether they believe Martin’s account, whether toxicology or mental health issues are being examined or whether he gave any other explanation.
The charges filed after the arrest show how police classified the encounter. Attempted second-degree murder is among the more serious violent charges available in Tennessee, and the firearm count adds a separate allegation tied to the gun. Martin was taken to the Hamilton County Jail after officers arrested him at or near the scene. Public reports listed his bond at $575,000 and his next court date as June 9. A judge could later review bond, probable cause, discovery deadlines or other early case issues. Prosecutors will rely on police reports, medical findings and witness statements to support the charges as the case moves forward.
The branch’s location on Gunbarrel Road gave the incident a public setting even though the alleged attack began during a private bank service. East Brainerd is one of Chattanooga’s active commercial areas, and the road carries drivers past shopping centers, restaurants, offices and financial businesses. A violent crime at a bank can trigger a large emergency response because officers must consider the possibility of an active shooter, robbery, hostage situation or injured bystanders. Police have not described the call as a robbery and have not said Martin attempted to take money from the bank. The public record instead points to a confrontation between Martin and the employee helping him.
Evidence from the bank could shape the case more than any single public statement. Investigators may examine surveillance video, door access records, safety deposit box logs, shell casings, weapon evidence and interviews with employees or customers. Police have not released those materials. They also have not said whether the rounds fired inside the bank struck walls, counters, glass or equipment. The number of shots has been described only as several. The weapon used in the stabbing has not been described publicly. Without those details, the public timeline remains brief, even as the charges suggest a much larger investigative file.
The employee’s condition was described early as non-life-threatening, but police have not released a detailed recovery update. No public statement has identified him, and no direct comment from the worker has been released beyond the affidavit summary. Bank of America’s role in the public record is mostly as the location of the attack and the employer of the victim. The company’s security procedures, staffing that day and any changes after the incident have not been detailed in the police summaries. The department said its Homicide Unit responded, and it cautioned that the information released was preliminary and could change.
As of the latest public accounts, Martin remained the only person charged in the case. The central unanswered question is why a bank visit involving a safety deposit box turned into violence. The known next step is the June 9 court appearance, where the case is expected to continue in Hamilton County.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.