ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (AP) — Police in Vermont say a pastor armed with a handgun attempted to stop a burglar fleeing from his church.
Pastor Richard Menard of the New Beginnings Christian Church in St. Johnsbury told police there had been multiple burglaries at his church recently. The Caledonian-Record reports he heard his building alarm go off early June 28 and confronted a fleeing burglar with a handgun.
Menard says he told the 32-year-old suspect to freeze after pulling out his handgun. Police say the burglar didn’t freeze and ran off into the woods.
Police say 32-year-old Justin Kirby, of Lyndon, was arrested. He faces a number of charges, including felony burglary and petit larceny. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer; a number couldn’t be found for him.
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