Priest saves fired police officer attempting to take his own life

Details: 

Perhaps there was some divine intervention when a fired Montgomery County police officer pulled into the parking lot of a church Wednesday to attempt to take his own life.

Instead, a pastor at Saint Teresa of Avila Church in Norristown, Pa., stopped the troubled ex-officer, identified as Charles Murray, sitting in his vehicle, with a hose attached to the exhaust pipe and the engine running, according to 6ABC in Philadelphia.

The pastor, identified as Father Jerry Wild, spotted the officer, who had been fired from the Lower Providence Police Department in June, and began talking to him.

6ABC reports Father Wild was able to coax Murray out of the car and into the church without incident.

…Heidi Reese, the administrative assistant to the pastor, described the situation this way in an interview with 6ABC:

“What I can share with you is that it was a troubled young man. He was suicidal. Father helped the young man, counseled him, and spoke with him, and the authorities were called and responded very appropriately and very thoroughly. The young man was taken into custody and is now getting the help he needs.

“If you look for it, God’s hand is in everything that happens, good, bad or indifferent. I am so proud to work Father Jerry Wild and that he was here and was able to help this young man. As with any church our focus is on the community and we want to be a safe place.

“We are grateful that this young man chose to come here, as strange as it may or may not sound. Father Wild has some specific training with challenging situations like this so it truly was God’s hand that this occurred the way it did today,” Reese told 6ABC.

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