Pistol-packing pastor shoots burglary suspect at church

Sherry Williams | KHOU-TV, Houston

BAYTOWN, Texas — A minister asleep in his church office Tuesday shot an intruder after hearing a disturbance, authorities said.

The pastor of The Church of New Beginnings, Benny Holmes, was at the church around 6:15 a.m. CT when he heard someone breaking into the building, said Roger Clifford, Baytown police assistant chief. Holmes grabbed a gun and ended up shooting Lee Marvin Blue, 27, whom police say was attempting to burglarize the church.

Officers converged on the church in Baytown, a city of about 75,000 people 25 miles east of Houston, following reports of gunfire.

Blue was airlifted to a local hospital where he is in stable condition with a wound to his right shoulder. He has been charged with burglary on a building.

Holmes told police he was asleep when a man broke down a door at the church. Holmes grabbed his 9mm pistol and confronted the man, who was carrying a large box filled with electronics taken from the church. Police said Holmes asked Blue to put down the box but Blue allegedly made a quick motion and Holmes then discharged one round from his gun.

The pastor's ex-wife said Holmes, who is a Vietnam veteran, has been sleeping at the church recently.

"We're going to be praying for the victim but at the same time we're thankful that it wasn't the pastor," Pat Holmes said. "He loves the Lord. A man of God cares for his sheep and certainly protects the property."

Blue has no fixed address and has a record that includes car burglaries and public intoxication, records show.

Local officers knew Benny Holmes because he planned his own sting operation in September to catch a thief who was stealing packages off porches in the area, including his own. He caught Laurie Ferguson, 52, and held her at gunpoint until police arrived to arrest her, and Baytown officers later found at least 30 stolen items stockpiled in the woman's closet.

"We had several UPS packages that were in front of people's homes and they were mysteriously disappearing," Baytown police Detective Luzette Watkins said. "Pastor Holmes happened to have the camcorder set up in front of his house. He actually caught the lady and restrained her until police could arrive."

In another case of a pastor shooting a burglary suspect, the Rev. W.L.T. Littleton of Greater Morning Star Baptist Church in New Orleans fired shots Aug. 27 at two men he discovered trying to steal copper tubing from his church.

Littleton, who previously had worked as a New Orleans police officer for nine years, hit Rodney Mitchell, 50, twice in the back of the head as he was fleeing. Mitchell survived and still has one bullet in his head. He has filed a civil suit against Littleton.

Suspect Joseph Cross, 35, who was not hit, was charged with copper theft but later pleaded guilty to attempted theft and simple criminal damage.

Littleton was arrested a few days later on one count of aggravated battery by shooting and pleaded not guilty in June to a charge of attempted manslaughter, according to The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune.

Contributing: WWL-TV, New Orleans; The Associated Press