Unsuspecting thief Joseph Cross and his unnamed companion got more than they bargained for when they decided to lift some copper from a church in Algiers, New Orleans, because the pastor of the church fired upon them.
According to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), the 50-year-old unidentified man accompanying Cross, 34, was hit in the head when the Rev. W.L.T. Littleton, a former police officer in the NOPD, opened fire on them with his gun.
The two would-be burglars were apprehended by police and Cross was taken into custody on charges of copper theft, while his companion was transported to an area hospital where he remains in a stable condition, continues the report.
The incident happened on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 about 5 p.m. when Littleton discovered the burglary attempt at the Greater Morning Star Baptist Church and gave chase in his own car, according to friends and neighbors. They added that it appears that the pastor chased the suspected burglars in his Lincoln Navigator a short distance to where the police found the suspects and their vehicle.
The weapon allegedly used by Littleton has been recovered by police after he led them to where he kept it in his vehicle, and although he was taken away in an unmarked police car he was not handcuffed, according to a spokesman for the NOPD.
NOPD Officer Frank Robertson went on to say that the investigation is under way, but no charges have been brought against Littleton and no other weapons have been recovered.
According to church and family members, Littleton fired in self-defense, hence the bullet holes in the alleged burglar’s pickup truck found a few blocks away from the church. The pastor apparently fired upon the two men outside the church because that is where police found the empty bullet casings.
Micquell Dillon, a witness to the event, said that after she heard the gunshots from the porch of her house, she saw the two men get in their pickup truck and drive away from the church. She adds that Littleton got in his own car and gave chase and that’s when she went indoors.
Along with other members of the community and church, Dillon praised Littleton for the service he performs in their area. She added that he often gives people money from his own pocket and helps them find work.
