A Memphis pastor was left in critical condition after he was shot in the mouth as he attempted to prevent two men from stealing a Sunday school teacher’s car, a church member said. According to WREG, the Sunday, February, 25, incident occurred at the New Zionfield Baptist Church.
The pastor was identified as 70-year-old Clemmie Livingston Jr., and his condition was listed as critical when he was taken to the hospital for treatment in the wake of the shooting. Authorities said the suspects drove off with the stolen vehicle and also opened fire on Livingston. Another individual who was at the scene returned fire at the suspects after the pastor was hit.
“The victim was shot when he came out of the church as the suspects were stealing a 2019 silver Chevrolet Corvette. As the suspects fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, they fired shots, striking the victim,” the Memphis Police Department said in a statement to FOX13.
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“A second person who was outside of the church at the time the car was stolen returned fired after the suspects shot first. The victim was in stable condition at the last update. The vehicle has not been recovered at this time. This is an ongoing investigation.”
In an interview with WREG, Livingston’s grandson, Kavion Woodin, said his grandfather was set to deliver a sermon at the church before he was shot. Woodin, 17, said the sermon during that Sunday service was titled, “Another Chance.”
“He was a man of giving, willingness, kindness, compassion, and he was a man that never did wrong towards nobody,” Woodin said. “Somebody tried to take one of the church member’s cars, and my granddaddy stepped up,” the teen added. “He feared no evil. He came out the church to protect a car because he feared no evil.”
The victim’s family also expressed their concerns over the spate of gun violence in the community and called for an end to that.
“Honestly, I’m sick and tired of losing people to gun violence and cars. I’ve lost seven friends due to gun violence. I’ve lost two friends to cars, and I’m nothing but 17,” Wooden said. “It’s time to stop the violence. It’s time to stop the robbing, stop the killing. It’s time to put the guns down.”
The 70-year-old victim’s family told ABC24 that his condition had improved after he underwent surgery, though he is not expected to recover anytime soon. They also said he already has cancer.
“They’re trying to watch it because they don’t want it to spread trying to operate on him,” Livingston’s daughter, Kevona Livingston, said. “It’s bone cancer and they shattered his bone.”
The stolen car was yet to be located at the time of this report. The car thieves were also in black hoodies when they committed the crime.
