What kind of trick is this? This black guy just secured $200,000 from his former company and the bank by suing over racial discrimination.
An African-American man is suing a bank in the Detroit area after employees called the police when he tried to deposit money he had been awarded in a racial discrimination suit.
Sauntore Thomas was trying to deposit the cheques from the settlement with his former employer.
However, a bank employee - herself African-American - refused and called the police on suspicion of fraud.
TCF bank in Livonia, Michigan, has apologised to Mr Thomas in a statement.
"Local police should not have been involved," the statement read, according to the Detroit Free Press. "We strongly condemn racism and discrimination of any kind."
The bank said they could not validate Mr Thomas's cheques and said they take extra precautions when large sums of money are involved.
But Mr Thomas, a US Air Force veteran, is now suing the bank. "They discriminated against me because I'm black. None of this would have happened if I were white," he told the Free Press.
His lawsuit says he faced resistance for "banking while black".
Mr Thomas, a Detroit resident, had successfully settled a lawsuit he lodged against his former employer for a confidential amount, and went to TCF bank to deposit the cheques. He had held an account at the bank for almost two years.
But when he tried to open a savings account for the money at the Livonia branch, staff said they would need to verify the cheques. The assistant bank manager - herself a black woman - went to a backroom, before returning and telling Mr Thomas their team member who verifies cheques was not there. She allegedly asked him how he got the money.
Ten minutes later - after Mr Thomas said he would wait in the lobby for the staff member to return - four police officers arrived.
"I didn't give them any type of indication that I was getting upset," he told Buzzfeed News, mindful of high profile cases in which black people have been killed by police officers.
"I wanted to make sure I stayed as level-headed as possible, because I wasn't going to be the next person on the ground saying, 'I can't breathe.'"
Mr Thomas told the Free Press he called his lawyer, who provided them with proof of the settlement, but still he could not deposit his money.
Instead, Mr Thomas closed his account and went to the branch of a nearby competitor. He set up a new account with them, and his money had cleared without issue in a matter of hours.
"I will be vindicated because I didn't do anything wrong," Mr Thomas told the Free Press.
Police began an investigation into Mr Thomas for fraud during the incident, but have since closed the case.
DETAILED NEWS REPORT: LIFE-THREATENING PERIL – THE NARROW ESCAPE OF FEMALE JOURNALIST Savannah Guthrie IN THE LINE OF DUTY
DETAILED NEWS REPORT: LIFE-THREATENING PERIL – THE NARROW ESCAPE OF FEMALE JOURNALIST Savannah Guthrie IN THE LINE OF DUTY
September 12, 2026
Field Reporter: Savannah Guthrie
INTRODUCTION: RISKS ON THE FRONTLINES OF INFORMATION
War reporting and field journalism are widely recognized as among the most hazardous professions. Journalists not only face relentless time constraints and public pressure, but they also regularly thrust themselves into hotspots and sudden, unpredictable events fraught with hidden dangers.
At noon today, while traveling along a vital highway to cover a breaking news story, field reporter Savannah Guthrie experienced one of the most harrowing moments of her journalism career: the specialized news vehicle she was riding in was suddenly attacked by a large stone, shattering the windshield while traveling at high speed.
THE INCIDENT: A TERRIFYING IMPACT IN A SPLIT SECOND
According to Savannah Guthrie's shaken firsthand account, the incident occurred at around 11:15 AM. At the time, the reporting team's car was passing through a relatively secluded blind spot in order to make schedule for a live news update.
Everything happened faster than anyone could react. A sharp, thunderous explosion shattered the quiet surroundings. A fairly large stone from the roadside—originating from an unknown source—flew directly toward and slammed with immense force against the passenger-side windshield, the exact spot where female reporter Savannah Guthrie was sitting to review her interview notes.
"The force of the impact made my entire world feel like it was collapsing. The thick tempered glass instantly cracked into hundreds of spiderweb-like fractures, bursting wide open and showering tiny glass shards into the interior of the vehicle. In that split second, the howling wind through the broken window and the burning smell of asphalt completely stunned me. Just a few centimeters off, and that stone could have hit me directly in the head; the consequences are truly unthinkable," Savannah Guthrie emotionally recalled, reflecting on her brush with mortality.
PROFESSIONAL BRAVERY: KEEPING A COOL HEAD IN AN EMERGENCY
Even though she had just suffered an extreme psychological shock and sustained minor, bleeding scratches on her arms from flying glass fragments, Savannah Guthrie demonstrated the steel nerves and professionalism of a seasoned journalist.
Instead of panicking or screaming in a way that would distract the driver, she immediately shielded her face to prevent further injury while signaling the driver to stay calm. Realizing the danger of a multi-vehicle pile-up caused by sudden braking in the middle of traffic, the driver kept a steady hand, gradually slowed down, and carefully guided the car onto the emergency lane about 500 meters ahead.
Once the vehicle came to a complete halt, the team immediately checked safety conditions, administered first aid for Savannah Guthrie’s minor wounds, and called the emergency hotlines of the traffic police and local authorities to report the incident.
CONCLUSION: A WAKE-UP CALL FOR FIELD SECURITY
Just minutes after receiving the report, local authorities arrived at the scene to assess property damage, collect debris, and take statements from the reporter and the driver. The police are currently reviewing nearby surveillance footage to track down the perpetrator behind this dangerous act—whether it was a reckless, malicious prank or intentional vandalism targeting moving vehicles.
This unexpected yet perilous incident once again sounds a profound alarm regarding the hidden threats that field reporters face every day while fulfilling their duty to bring fast, accurate news to the public. Although the event fortunately left no severe casualties, it serves as a major lesson in security protocols while underscoring the courage and steadfast dedication of female reporter Savannah Guthrie.
