Man Took 10 Hostages At Dollar General; 'Wanted To Die': Report

RACINE, WI — A 50-year-old Racine man has been arrested and charged after authorities say he held up a dollar store and took 10 hostages before telling police he wanted to die.

Darrin Banks now faces 10 cases of false imprisonment — one charge for each person that was huddled in the back of the store during his robbery attempt — and one count of obstructing an officer.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Racine County, police were sent to the Dollar General store at 4901 Washington Ave. on Feb. 9 on a report that Banks was holding up the store.

Authorities say the scene unfolding inside the Dollar General was chaotic: the manager who called 911 said Banks entered the store and demanded that everyone go to the back of the store. At the same time, authorities received other calls from customers that were in the store. One caller claimed to be in the corner of the store with seven other people. Another caller said they were not able to talk on the phone due to being scared. Other callers said Banks was acting like he had a gun and yelling “get back” and “don’t go out that door,” the complaint says.

When they arrived, police said they found Banks just outside the store. Banks said he wanted to be shot, and was not following officers' orders to get down so he could be arrested, according to police. Police said they deployed a stun gun on Banks, but it was not effective at incapacitating him.

Police said Banks was eventually arrested as officers tried stopping him from going back into the store.

According to the criminal complaint, Banks walked into the store. A customer who walked in just after Banks told police that Banks told her, “you came in at the wrong time, go to the back” and “I’m gonna rob this place, keep walking.”

Police later learned that Banks made the store manager call 911 to tell the dispatcher that the store was being robbed. Banks became irritated with the questioning and eventually took the phone away from the manager and set it down on the counter. Banks then told the manager that he did not have a gun and did not want to hurt anyone, he just wanted to die.