The victim was first believed to have been shot, but doctors later found a stab wound.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A police call about a person shot at an East Brainerd bank became an attempted murder case after officers found a wounded employee inside and a suspect outside in the parking lot.
The investigation centers on a short but violent encounter during a safety deposit box visit at a Bank of America branch on Gunbarrel Road. Chattanooga police said Ladarryl Martin, 38, was taken into custody after the 28-year-old employee was punched, stabbed and shot at during the Wednesday afternoon attack.
The first sign of trouble reached dispatchers shortly after 2 p.m. April 22, when officers were sent to the 2100 block of Gunbarrel Road for a report of a shooting. The location sits in East Brainerd, a commercial part of Chattanooga where weekday traffic moves between shopping centers, banks and office buildings. Officers arrived expecting a gunshot victim. Instead, they found a case that was still unfolding. Police said Martin was in the parking lot when officers reached the scene. The employee was inside the business lobby with what first appeared to be a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. That early assessment shaped the first response, but it changed after Hamilton County EMS took the worker to a hospital.
Medical staff later determined the employee had been stabbed, not hit by gunfire. Police said that finding did not erase the role of the gun. Investigators said Martin fired several rounds, though none struck the worker. The employee had been helping Martin with access to a safety deposit box when Martin became angry, according to an affidavit described by local reports. The worker told officers the anger seemed to come without an apparent reason. Police said the attack included three forms of violence: a punch, a stabbing and gunfire. Authorities have not released the worker’s name, the exact wound location or a final medical update beyond the initial description that his injury was not life-threatening.
The shift from a shooting call to a stabbing case is one reason the timeline has drawn attention. Police responded as though a firearm injury had occurred, and the victim himself first believed he had been shot, according to reports on the affidavit. That belief was plausible because shots were fired during the same encounter. The later hospital finding separated the source of the injury from the broader danger inside the bank. Investigators have not publicly said whether the gunfire damaged the building, struck furniture or passed through any walls. They also have not said how many people heard the shots or whether customers were evacuated after officers arrived.
Martin was booked into the Hamilton County Jail after the arrest. Chattanooga police said he faces one count of attempted second-degree murder and one count of possession of a firearm during a dangerous felony. Public reports placed his bond at $575,000 and listed June 9 as the next scheduled court date. The court process will determine whether prosecutors can prove the charges. Police stressed that the details released so far are preliminary and that the allegations are not evidence of guilt. Martin, like any criminal defendant, is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Investigators also documented Martin’s account of what he remembered. According to the affidavit described in local reporting, Martin said he recalled going to the bank and asking for access to his safety deposit box. He remembered being in a room with workers. After that, he said, his next memory was jumping over a half door while holding his gun. Martin said the firearm had been racked, leading him to believe he had fired it. He also told officers he was trying to stop people from entering the bank because he thought someone could be dead. Police have not publicly explained whether they view that statement as confusion, a possible defense issue or part of the alleged attack.
The safety deposit box setting gives the case a narrow and unusual backdrop. Such visits often happen away from the main teller line, sometimes in a separate room or semi-private area where customers can reach boxes with staff help. Police have not released details about the room layout inside the Gunbarrel Road branch, but Martin’s statement about a half door suggests investigators are examining the physical space where the encounter occurred. The case may involve video from interior cameras, access logs, employee statements and records showing when Martin entered the bank and when officers were called. None of those records has been fully released publicly.
Chattanooga police said their Homicide Unit responded to conduct the investigation, even though the worker survived. That unit often handles serious violent crimes and cases where a person could have died. The attempted murder charge signals that authorities believe the attack was more than a simple assault. The firearm charge adds a second legal track because police said gunfire occurred during a dangerous felony. Prosecutors may use the employee’s statement, medical findings, shell casings, recovered weapons and Martin’s own comments to build the case. Defense lawyers may focus on intent, state of mind and the still-unknown trigger for the confrontation.
By the time police released their summary, the known facts had narrowed to a few core points: the employee survived, Martin was arrested at the scene, shots were fired, the wound came from a stabbing and no bullet hit the victim. Much else remains unclear. Police have not said what made Martin angry, whether the two men knew each other outside the bank, whether any money or property was involved or whether the branch had prior security concerns. The case remains open as investigators prepare reports for court.
Martin’s next known court date is June 9. Until then, the public record shows an active prosecution built from a bank visit that began with a safety deposit box and ended with a wounded employee, gunfire and two felony charges.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.