A Houston pastor is being praised for his courageous intervention when a man allegedly attacked his elderly neighbors. The pastor, Heath Haynes, credits his faith for motivating him to act quickly and protect the couple.
On June 15th, Haynes and his wife were at home when they heard Sharon Koehn, one of the neighbors, crying out for assistance. Initially thinking it was a medical emergency, Haynes rushed outside. However, as Sharon ran towards him, she explained that someone was attacking her husband. Haynes immediately realized the situation was far more serious.
Reaching the neighbors' house, Haynes found the front door closed. Looking through a window, he saw 85-year-old Earl Koehn, who has dementia, lying on the floor with a coat rack across his chest. A man, later identified as 54-year-old Shane Jennings, was rummaging through Earl's pockets. Haynes began banging on the door and shouting at Jennings, who initially pretended to belong there. However, when Haynes made it clear he could see him, Jennings moved towards the back of the house.
Haynes then pulled out his phone and started recording, hoping to deter further violence. The video captures Haynes confronting Jennings, asking him what he's doing and accusing him of assaulting the elderly man. Haynes demands that Jennings drop items he's holding, including the keys to the Koehns' truck. Jennings tries to open the truck door but then flees.
Haynes briefly manages to restrain Jennings, who claims he didn't attack the couple. By this time, Haynes' wife had called the police. Unaware that Jennings still had a set of keys, Haynes continued to try and contain him in the backyard. Jennings then jumped into the Koehns' truck, crashing through a fence, sideswiping the house, hitting another vehicle, and speeding away.
Following a police chase later that day, Jennings was apprehended and faces six felony charges, including aggravated assault of an elderly person and assault of a peace officer. The Koehns thankfully did not sustain serious injuries. Haynes believes they were targeted, recalling an earlier incident where Earl mentioned being mugged. According to Haynes, Jennings initially asked Earl for a glass of water, then to use the bathroom, before claiming Earl owed him money.
Haynes attributes his actions to his Christian faith, stating that Jesus' example of selfless love inspired him. He also believes divine intervention played a role in his being present at the right moment and in preventing further escalation of the situation. Haynes hopes Jennings will find redemption and face the consequences of his actions.
