Tampa, FL – Upon receiving notice of a triggered alarm system at Seminole Heights Baptist Church, lead pastor Brant Adams armed himself and rushed to the scene.
Arriving around 1am before police were on the scene, Adams noticed a broken window that had likely set off the church alarm.
Adams approached the window with deacon Jack Young, who had also just arrived, and immediately spotted the suspect ransacking church offices looking for what police believed to be cash.
When the pastor saw a dark object in suspect Miguel Otero-Rivera’s hand, Adams proceeded to brandish his firearm.
“Hey, get down!”, Adams yelled.
Otero-Rivera’s hands went up instantly as he proceeded to lie on the floor.
Pastor Adams held Otero-Rivera at gunpoint until the police arrived.
The item in the suspect’s hand was later identified as a laptop.
After Florida police took Otero-Rivera into custody, Adams told Fox35 that he was glad he brought a gun.
49-year-old Miguel Otero-Rivera was charged with burglary, grand theft, possession of a burglary tool, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Pastor Adams hoped not to ever find himself in this position, but he was prepared to defend his church from criminality.
Serving as a model for church leadership across America, Seminole Heights Baptist Church exercised their Second Amendment to protect what they love.
“The simple message is if you need help, ask for it. You don’t need to steal,” Adam’s said. “There’s so many things that we try to do to help people. If he would’ve just come to the back door and knocked and asked for something, said, ‘I need some food.’ We would’ve given him some food.”
Churchgoers commended pastor Adams for his swift action as other churches begin to re-consider their own approach to security.