Canon Jean-Baptiste Commins, a French-born priest of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest and rector of St Joseph Shrine, intervened on June 1 to tackle and restrain an 18-year-old suspect fleeing a suspected stolen vehicle that had crashed into another car near the church in Detroit’s Eastern Market district.
The incident unfolded shortly after police attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, believed to be stolen. The driver sped away, leading to a collision at the corner of Saint Aubin and Antietam streets that injured a female driver, whose injuries were not life-threatening. As the suspect ran towards the shrine’s car park – wearing only one shoe – a bystander called for him to be stopped. Canon Commins, in clerical attire, acted immediately.
