TAMPA, FL (WFLA) — A church maintenance worker thwarts a break-in at a church by using his concealed weapon to keep the suspect at bay.News Channel 8 reporter Lindsey Mastis and photographer Malik Parler were driving to another story when they saw a man with his hands up, and another man with a handgun pointed at him outside the Culbreath Chapel at 302 Kennedy Blvd.

Ed Clayton, a maintenance worker with First Baptist Church in Tampa, tells News Channel 8 he decided to bring his concealed weapon because the doors to the church had been breached earlier in the evening. He was tasked with boarding them up. But he worried someone might be inside.

Source: News Channel 8 there as man attempts to break into Tampa church | WFLA.com

Actually there has been a rash of break-ins at local South Florida churches lately and it was bound to happen that sooner or later there was going to be a confrontation.  I am glad in this instance things did not go tragic and the Idjit decided to surrender.

“I saw the guy walk up the sidewalk and he saw me and took off running. So I ran down the sidewalk and when I got to the end of the sidewalk I didn’t see anyone,” he recounted. “I look over in the bushes and he’s hiding.”

Clayton said this is the first time he’s had to pull his concealed weapon on someone.

“As soon as I hit the sidewalk over there, I took my weapon out just in case. I didn’t know where he was,” he said.

Soon, a Tampa police officer pulled up with her weapon drawn, and other officers came running. They ordered the suspect on the ground and took him into custody.

Police do not believe Clayton will face any charges because he has a right to protect himself and property. Clayton told News Channel 8 he has a permit for his handgun.

Happy ending!

But what makes this story also interesting is that we have video of Mr. Clayton keeping the subject covered and the police arriving.

But how come Tampa PD did not shoot down Mr. Clayton? If we go by what some Chief LEOs and politicians have told us, rank and file cop of the street cannot distinguish a criminal from a good guy with a gun and everybody is gonna get shot.
Maybe it was a tiny bit exaggeration from their part….Lies.

Hat Tip to Jeff A.