Capitol News

The Michigan Department of Attorney General has completed its review of the June 27, 2025, fatal shooting involving a Michigan State Police Trooper in Saginaw. The Department determined that the trooper acted lawfully in defense of others during a standoff at a Mercantile Bank branch and will not file charges.

According to the Attorney General’s office, Quentin Marquese Allen, 31, entered the bank on State Street after hours and demanded money from the only employee present. When Allen began making demands, the employee’s phone call was abruptly ended so that authorities could be alerted to a possible robbery. Local police responded and called for support from the Michigan State Police Saginaw Emergency Response Team.

Over nearly three hours, Allen barricaded himself inside with the employee as a hostage. He issued demands to police negotiators for $10,000 in cash, a Faygo soda, and potato chips. He threatened harm to the hostage if his requests were not met. In an effort to negotiate, police delivered food items by drone.

At one point during negotiations, while using the bank employee as a human shield at the doorway to retrieve delivered items, Allen exposed himself when the hostage lowered herself. A Michigan State Police Trooper stationed across the street atop another business fired one shot from about 115 yards away with a specialty rifle, killing Allen and ending the standoff.

As required by policy, investigators from outside Saginaw—specifically from MSP’s 2nd District—handled the investigation before referring it to state prosecutors for review. The Attorney General’s office examined police reports, witness statements, surveillance video from inside the branch, emergency calls related to the incident, recorded negotiations between Allen and law enforcement, and other evidence.

The review concluded that “the Trooper killed Quentin Marquese Allen in a justified exercise of defense of others,” noting that firing on Allen ended “an extended police standoff involving a hostage in immediate, life-threatening danger.” According to Michigan law regarding use of deadly force by officers in such situations: “An officer’s decision about the level of force necessary to control an individual will be based on the officer’s perception of the threat and the subject’s apparent ability to carry out that threat.”

The report found that at all times during this incident—the hostage was visibly distressed and under threat—and officers had reasonable belief that deadly force was necessary to prevent serious harm or death. Under state law this belief constituted legal justification for use of deadly force.

The Department also reiterated its commitment to assist with investigations into officer-involved shootings upon request from local prosecutors or law enforcement agencies statewide.

A full copy of the report is available online.