Mistake One: Allegedly Trying to Break Into a Church. Mistake Two: Thinking They Had the Upper-Hand on Former Police Officer Turned Pastor.

A former police officer turned pastor reportedly opened fire on two burglary suspects, hitting one in the head outside of the Greater Morning Star Baptist Church in New Orleans on Wednesday.

The armed pastor, identified by relatives and church members as W.L.T. Littleton, is believed to have confronted the two suspects as they attempted to burglarize the church. The relatives and church members were apparently told the pastor fired in self-defense.

One of the suspects, identified by police as 34-year-old Joseph Cross, was arrested and charged with copper theft. The other unidentified suspect was reported to be in stable condition after being shot in the head by Littleton.

Video screengrab via Nola.com

Video screengrab via Nola.com

The pastor’s firearm was taken by officers and he drove away with police in an unmarked police car. Though he was questioned by New Orleans police, the Times-Picayune reports Littleton was not in handcuffs and not arrested at the time.

Police also found the suspects’ vehicle peppered with bullets a number of blocks down the street, where one of the suspects was taken into custody. Littleton reportedly chased after the suspects in his Lincoln Navigator, though it was unclear how long he pursued the suspected burglars.

Littleton has been with the Greater Morning Star Baptist Church for about two decades and was previously an officer with the New Orleans Police Department, the Times-Picayune adds.

The community had nothing but good things to say about the pastor: