BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today noted that a church shooting this week in Texas will be difficult for anti-gunners to exploit, because it involved an armed pastor who stopped an electronics thief in the act.
“I’ve read various published reports of the Tuesday morning incident in Baytown, Texas, and all of them clearly note that Pastor Benny Holmes will likely not face charges,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gotttlieb. “It’s not every day we hear stories about a member of the clergy rendering unto a thief what he’s got coming to him.”
Published reports say Holmes confronted a man identified as Lee Marvin Blue, who forced his way into the Church of New Beginnings. Unfortunately for Blue, Pastor Holmes was asleep inside, was aroused by the noise, grabbed his pistol and went to investigate. He reportedly found Blue carrying a box filled with electronics taken from the church, the AP noted. When the suspect made a quick furtive gesture, Holmes shot him.
Reports say surveillance video captured the break-in.
Last year, according to published reports, Baytown Police got help from Holmes in solving a series of thefts of UPS packages from in front of private homes. Pastor Holmes caught a woman in the act and held her until the cops arrived.
“In most cases,” Gottlieb observed, “when a private citizen uses a firearm in self-defense, a shot is not fired. In this case, there was a single shot, and it stopped an apparent burglar. But it is disappointing that stories like this get very little attention from the mainstream press, and anti-gun groups like Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety run and hide rather than admit that people can fight back with firearms.
“Pastor Holmes’ incident certainly adds perspective to the use of force, and how using a firearm can stop or prevent crime,” Gottlieb concluded. “You can bet that this story is spreading around Baytown and nearby communities, as something of a deterrent. One might even theorize that a message was being sent, not only to the burglar, but to anyone else who entertained thoughts that a church is a soft target. We wouldn’t call it divine intervention, but we will call it darned fine shooting.”
