Hi everyone,
I wanted to share a recent experience and get your thoughts and advice. It happened at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during evening Mass on August 17th.
As Mass was ending, a man walked in through the east doors. He was a Black male, about 6 feet tall, late 30s to early 40s, strong build.
At the end of the service, I heard some shouting in the back. I was sitting about ten rows from the back, so I got up to see what was happening. Next thing you know, he was charging toward me and the front of the church. I held my arms out to try to grab his attention and slow him down. He shoved me into a pew, and I hit my back and head, falling on other parishioners.
After that, he ran toward the front, and I immediately got back up to follow him with other parishioners to see what would happen next. I was concealed carrying at the time, so I wanted to limit direct engagement. Along with myself, several other men got up to stand in front of him, trying to guide him out.
The man was shouting incoherent things, including statements like “you’re stealing from my kingdom,” while growling, cursing, grunting, and lunging at parishioners, as if he was trying to provoke people into fighting him. His behavior was unpredictable and uncontrollable — he could not be reasoned with. We eventually corralled him to the front, and when he reached the front doors, he shoved another person down the outside steps, causing that parishioner to tumble.
At that point, we decided it was enough and restrained him — one man got on his back and held him in a rear hold, while two to three others pinned his legs and body until police arrived. The entire incident lasted roughly 6 to 9 minutes.
Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured, and no property was damaged.
In light of this event, men in my diocese are trying to wake others up to train and protect our local churches. Being present at the cathedral and seeing the risk profile in a busy downtown area, it’s something I had always anticipated could happen. Thank God he wasn’t armed. It sounds like he’s a repeat offender; the officers who arrived even knew him by first name. When I think about the tragic shooting at a Catholic school and church in Minnesota, it’s a sobering reminder of how much worse situations like this can become.
I’d love input from the USCCA community, especially for individuals who are concealed carrying:
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How would you handle someone aggressive and completely out of control but unarmed in a crowded public space? Would you wait until they actually hurt someone else, especially in a church setting?
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Does it make sense to keep your distance and observe while unarmed individuals intervene first?
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Are there tactics or best practices for keeping yourself and others safe in situations like this? Do you physically intervene? Do you carry pepper spray?
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How do you balance protecting others while avoiding escalating the situation yourself?
I’d really like to hear your experiences, advice, and recommendations. How would you handle something like this if it happened in your community?
Link to News Story: GRPD: Man accused of assault during church service
Cheers,
Goose
