A Detroit priest was outside his church when a loud crash near Saint Joseph Shrine suddenly pulled him into a scene that sounded more like a police chase than an ordinary Monday evening around the parish.
FOX 2 Detroit reporter Scott Wolchek reported that Reverend Canon Jean-Baptiste Commins, a French priest serving at Saint Joseph Shrine on Detroit’s east side, heard tires squeal and then a heavy crash near the church. Moments later, he saw a young man running from the scene with only one shoe on and blood on his face.
According to Wolchek’s report, somebody yelled for the man to be stopped, and Commins reacted before the suspect could get away.
The 18-year-old was accused of stealing a car before crashing outside the church near Saint Aubin and Antietam, and police believe the vehicle involved had been stolen.
A Crash Outside Saint Joseph Shrine
Wolchek, reporting live from outside Saint Joseph Shrine, described the situation as “unlikely” but “pretty incredible,” explaining that Commins had been in the church parking lot when the crash happened nearby.
Police said they had seen the car speeding and tried to initiate a traffic stop, but before that could happen, the vehicle crashed into another car. A woman in the other vehicle was injured, though Wolchek reported that she was expected to be okay.
After the crash, the suspect took off running, according to the FOX 2 report.
That is when Commins, still in clerical attire, found himself doing something most people would not expect from a priest standing outside his church: he moved to stop the fleeing suspect.
The image is unusual enough to almost sound like a joke, but the report makes clear that this was a serious crash scene with an injured woman, a suspected stolen vehicle, and police on the way.
The Priest Steps In
Commins told FOX 2 Detroit that he grabbed the suspect and took him to the ground after seeing him run from the area.
“Grabbed him, put him down,” Commins said in Wolchek’s report.
The priest said the young man resisted and was trying hard to get away, which forced him to keep control of the situation until officers arrived.
“He was resisting a lot, trying to run away definitely, and so I had to unfortunately give him a few punches and hurt my hand a little bit,” Commins told FOX 2.
Commins said the injury to his hand was not major, but he was focused on making sure there was no immediate threat because he did not know whether the suspect had a gun or another weapon.
That part of the story is important because it shows the priest was not simply trying to be dramatic or heroic. He was making a fast decision in a confusing moment, with limited information and a person fleeing from a crash scene.
Another member of the church helped Commins hold the suspect down until police arrived, according to Wolchek’s report.
Police Arrest One Suspect And Detain Others
FOX 2 reported that the 18-year-old suspect was arrested and three other people were detained after the crash.
Police believed the vehicle they had been in was stolen, and the suspect was behind bars after the incident.
Wolchek said the crash happened after officers tried to stop the speeding vehicle, but the driver crashed before the traffic stop could fully unfold.
The injured woman in the other car suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to the report, though Commins said she was not very responsive when he later checked on her.
The case is interesting because it shows how quickly a public safety incident can spill into the life of someone who was not looking for any role in it. Commins was not on patrol, was not chasing anyone, and was not waiting for trouble, yet the crash happened close enough to the church that he became part of the response.
In many neighborhoods, churches are not just places of worship but steady landmarks where people notice what is happening around them. In this case, that presence mattered in a very physical way.
From Tackle To Blessing
After police took control of the suspect, Commins did not simply walk away from the scene.
He told Wolchek that he immediately turned his attention back to the woman hurt in the crash, checking whether she needed spiritual care while medics were helping her.
“As soon as I had the police officers take care of this gentleman, I rushed back to the lady, make sure, you know, if she needed the Anointing of the Sick or a blessing or something,” Commins said.
He said he stayed there with the medics while the woman was still not very responsive, though her eyes were moving slightly.
That detail gives the story a different tone. The first half sounds like an unexpected takedown by a priest, but the second half shows him returning to the role people would more naturally expect from him: comforting or praying for someone in distress.
It is a rare sequence, and that is probably why the story stood out so strongly in Wolchek’s report. Within minutes, Commins went from hearing a crash, to tackling a fleeing suspect, to checking on an injured woman and preparing to offer a blessing if she needed one.
“Just Another Day In The D”
When Wolchek asked what Commins did after the whole thing was over, the priest gave an answer that made the story even more memorable.
“Yes, I went and had to do my prayers as usual and have dinner with the community,” Commins said.
Then he summed it up with a line that matched the unusual nature of the day.
“Just another day in the D,” he said.
Wolchek joked from the scene that people might want to watch out for “those French priests” if they are thinking about committing crimes, while the studio anchors reacted with surprise and humor at the story.
One anchor noted that people around churches can be “highly connected” in many ways, turning the moment into a light exchange after what had clearly been a dangerous crash.
The humor works because the ending was not worse. The woman was expected to be okay, the suspect was arrested, and the priest who got involved was able to return to prayer and dinner with his community.
A Priest Looking Out For His Community
Wolchek described Commins as a very interesting person who was looking out for his community, and this incident gave Detroit viewers a clear example of what that meant in practice.
There is something quietly powerful about a person stepping in during a moment when it would have been easy to stand back and wait for someone else to handle it. Of course, chasing or tackling a suspect is not something everyone can or should do, especially when weapons or injuries may be involved, but Commins’ quick reaction helped keep the suspect from disappearing after a crash that injured another driver.
The report also shows how community safety often depends on more than one group of people. Police were involved, medics were involved, another church member helped, and a priest happened to be close enough to act when the suspect ran.
That mix of people is what makes the story feel different from a standard crime report.
A suspected stolen vehicle crashed outside a church, a young man ran from the scene with one shoe, and a French priest in Detroit stepped in long enough for police to make the arrest. Afterward, Commins returned to the injured woman, offered care in the way a priest would, and then went back to his prayers and community dinner.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
