KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A video circulating on social media this week shows a security guard pulling a gun out during a vehicle repossession attempt Sunday at a church in Kalamazoo.
Jesse Carter, who works for a local repossession company that he did not want named, said he spotted a vehicle backed into a parking space Sunday morning that matches a specific and rare color.
“It’s like a burnt orange color,” he said. “It stands out pretty well.”
When Carter drove onto church property to check the VIN number or plate of the vehicle in question, church security asked him to leave.
“The guy approached me and he just kind of said, ‘It’s a church, man. You’re really going to repo from a church?’ And I said, ‘I got a job to do,’” Carter said.
He returned about 10 minutes later and according to church officials. He and another truck driver sped quickly and Carter’s truck positioned itself to tow the vehicle. That’s when the security team, made up of trained volunteers, once again approached the repo man.
One person pulled a gun.
“He was just telling me that he wasn’t going to allow me to take the vehicle. He would protect that property with his life and he told me he was prepared to shoot me,” Carter said.
Video surveillance from the church confirms Carter and another person returning to the church’s parking lot at higher speeds shortly before 11:30 a.m.
“We have them on camera leaving and then they came back and at which point they’re trespassing,” said Pastor Joel Brooks. “And they tried to connect to the car that they actually did not have any rights to. They had the wrong car … So at this point they’re stealing a car from our parking lot.”
Lead pastors Joel and Yvonne Brooks told News 8 that each member of their security team goes through a background check and proper training. The person holding the gun in the video even attended a training course just a couple of week ago held by the church.
“These guys, the way that they came on our parking lot, they broke the peace. They broke the peace we’re trying to establish,” Brooks said. “They were trying to steal the car. They did not have rights to the car. They were stealing the car.”
Michigan statute allows repossession of a vehicle on private property as long as the driver does not break into a gate or damage a structure during the repossession.
In the end, the vehicle in question was not a match to the repossessed vehicle the company was looking for, but Carter was not able to learn that until after police arrived at the scene.
“He kept telling me to leave, go but the car, my truck was in park at that time. Like I said, I didn’t want to make any sudden movements and give him the opportunity to say he felt threatened,” he said.
Tonya Krause-Phelan with Cooley Law told News 8 that people are not legally allowed to use deadly force to protect property. She reviewed the case and said that this situation was most likely a mistake of fact.
“Stand your ground is when you’re confronted with deadly force you can respond with deadly force as long as you’re not in the process of committing a crime,” she said. “There’s nothing to indicate that the repossession person was exhibiting any kind of deadly force that would allow the security guard from the church to come out with a deadly weapon and threaten.”
Kalamazoo Public Safety said they arrested the 40-year-old security volunteer Sunday on suspicion of felonious assault. The prosecutor is reviewing the case. At this time, no charges have been filed.
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