Pastor Shoots Brick-Wielding Intruder Dead During Sunday Service
A Detroit pastor shot and killed a brick-wielding intruder during a Sunday service, police say.
When victim Deante Smith entered City of God Ministries armed with a brick, the unnamed pastor allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic weapon and fatally shot Smith.
“They knew each other and had some type of problem before,” Assistant Detroit Police Chief Steve Dolunt told the Detroit Free Press. “When I got there, the body had already been moved. The pastor was in custody. We had the gun.”
Dolunt tells Free Press there are allegations the pastor had an affair with the victim’s wife, but police cannot substantiate those claims at this time.
Smith’s cousin Detrese Abbot said the pastor and victim were involved in disputes before the attack.
“It’s unbelievable,” Abbot told the Free Press. “They’re painting him to be a monster, but he wasn’t. They knew each other very well. This is not just a strange man that walked in looking to harm someone. … We’re just trying to figure this whole thing out.”
The Detroit News reports Smith ranted on Facebook about how he planned to attack the pastor.
“Can’t wait to see Sunday message at the City of God Ministry,” Smith wrote. “I’ll be there with the truth.”
According to the Detroit News, the pastor was never arrested.
“He was never in custody,” Officer Jennifer Moreno told the Detroit News. “He was just brought downtown (on Sunday) for questioning regarding the incident. He stayed a couple hours, cooperated fully, and went home.”
