DETROIT – A community came together to stop a suspected robber and hold him down until police arrived.
It started at Livernois and Puritan avenues on Detroit's west side Saturday afternoon when a man was robbed of his glasses and then shots were fired.
Close to 100 members of the community organization Living in Peace were preaching to a crowd.
Just as pastor Maurice Hardwick spoke about peace, things got crazy. People started running moments after a man snatched someone's designer sunglasses.
"He snatched the glasses off his face right in front of me," Hardwick said. "We couldn't believe it. We thought it was a joke, but he tried to run and we went after him. That's when he pulled out a big old .40 Glock."
Cellphone video shows the gun while community members dodged bullets to catch him.
"He picked the wrong people. Like Pastor Mo said today, I thank God we're all still safe and alive," one person said.
Hardwick can't believe the man opened fire for something so trivial.
"He shot at women and kids over a pair of sunglasses, but guess what? God knocked him down," Hardwick said.
Members of the group took the suspect's gun and held him down until police arrived.
"You come into the middle of prayer vigil and try to rob somebody," Hardwick said.
But they're baffled why someone would steal at a peace rally.