Hero: Kent Hendrix, 47, stopped a robbery with his samurai sword (Picture: AP)

A Mormon bishop was the unlikely hero after stopping a mugging near his home using a 29-inch high carbon steel Samurai sword.

Kent Hendrix, a fourth-degree black belt martial arts instructor, came to his neighbour’s aid when she was attacked outside her property in Salt Lake City.

After being woken up by his 14-year-old son, who had witnessed the attack on Tuesday, the bishop grabbed the weapon he usually trains with before running outside.

The 35-year-old victim was knocked to the ground as she left home for work by a man who had been stalking her. He took her keys and attempted to gain entry to her property.


Who are you looking at? The bishop poses with his sword (Picture: AP)

She ran down the street for help before a barefooted Mr Hendrix came to her aid, armed with his trusty samurai sword, and confronted the man.



‘His eyes got as big as saucers and he kind of gasped and jumped back,’ he explained. ‘He’s probably never had anyone draw a sword on him before.’

The suspect fled the scene in his car but not before the brave bishop memorised his number plate and picked up the lip balm he had dropped.

‘I yelled at him, “I’ve got your DNA and I’ve got your license plate: You are so done”,’ he said.

Kent Hendrix owns a collection of swords and weapons that he trains with (Picture: AP)

The suspect, 37-year-old Grant Eggersten, turned himself in an hour later and was charged with robbery, attempted burglary, trespassing and violation of a stalking injunction.

‘That kind of thing doesn’t happen every day,’ Hendrix said. ‘Our neighborhood is a pretty quiet place.

‘Some people have bats they go to – I have my sword.’