Just saw the trailer for Breaking, which is a drama based on a bank robbery conducted by a Marine vet named
Brian Easley. He was a disable veteran with undiagnosed mental illness who was sent away from the VA when he tried to get help.
Gotta say, I was interested in the project when I first heard about it, but a lot of things in the trailer turn me off because they look like they're trying to action up the story.
TL;DR for anyone who doesn't want to read the full article.
Easley tells the bank employees he has a backpack full of C4 and is robbing the bank. He lets all but two employees (manager and teller) go.
According to the hostages, he was extremely apologetic and never raised his voice or spoke harshly to them.
His reason for robbing the bank was that his $892.00 disability check from the VA was late, they weren't helping him, and he was about to become homeless.
Robbing the bank got him in touch with the news, who talked to him about the VA and broadcasted his story.
Hostage negotiations were going fine (he was going to release the teller for a pack of newports) when a SWAT sniper shot him in the head without authorization. AFIAK, there still has not been an actual reason other than he "felt it was right".
Easley had no C4 and no fake deadman switch.