A Connecticut pastor was caught on video pinning a teenage carjacker to the ground and wrestling a gun away from him, leading the pastor to say that his survival was a miracle and call out the current generation for being “shooters” rather than fighters.
For background, on July 8, 2025, Bishop-Elect Kenneth Moales, Jr., a Bridgeport, Connecticut, pastor, was attacked by an armed teenage carjacker in Baltimore, Maryland, and the struggle between the two was caught on video. The encounter ended with the pastor pinning his assailant to the ground and wrestling a gun away from him. Moreover, press accounts later confirmed that while the teenager got away with the car, he was arrested hours later.
In an interview with the CT Post, Moales explained that he was approached in his car by a teenager who said that his phone was broken and he needed assistance before proceeding to put on a ski mask and point a gun at Moales. Moales told the Post that the teenager then tapped the window with the gun and said, “I will shoot you. Get out of the car.”
What happened next, Moales explained, was the result of thinking of his family. He said that in that moment, he thought, “I can take this guy. I’m not a hero, but I began to think, ‘I can’t die like this. My wife and children at home, they’d be devastated. I can’t die here.'” Then, Moales got out of the car, punching the robber in the jaw before wrestling a gun away from him.
Weighing in on the teenage robber’s behavior, Moales told the post, “This generation, they’re not really fighters; they’re shooters.” He then explained that he was running on adrenaline as he pursued the carjacker in the pouring rain, saying, “I’m in full pursuit at age 53 and 300 pounds, chasing some young kid in the rain. It’s all adrenaline, fight or flight.”
Continuing, Moales explained that when he had the robber pinned to the ground, the pastor told the teenager that he was a pastor and had kids of his own, and was not going to press charges. However, the carjacker proceeded to get into the car as Moales asked, “I told you I’m a pastor. I’m letting you leave. What are you doing?” In response, the carjacker pointed his gun at Moales and drove away.
Per the CT Post, Baltimore police arrived within minutes and took Moales to the hospital. In response, Moales said, “To this day, I have respect for police and what they do.” He added, “All my coaches were police officers.” However, Moales said he was disappointed in the robber’s lack of respect for a pastor, saying that there was a national “epidemic” of violence and crime.
After the incident, Moales told the Post, “No one is proud of me and no one is calling me a hero, except my grandson,” adding, “He said, ‘You’re the man. You still got the dog in you, Grandpa.” In addition, Moales attributed his grit and resilience to his upbringing, saying, “I’m from Bridgeport. There is no urban community more violent and intense than Bridgeport. If you survive Bridgeport, you can go into any urban community and protect yourself.” Speaking to Fox News, he added, “I’m glad the lord covered my life and kept me.”
Watch footage of the pastor’s encounter with the carjacker:
Featured image credit: video screengrab