Video shows LDS missionary fighting off armed attackers in Brazil
Published at | Updated at
BRAZIL — A missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fought off what appears to be an attempted armed robbery, and the incident, which was caught on video, is now gaining traction online.
The Facebook video, posted Monday, appears to be surveillance video of a street in Brazil, although the exact location was not released. Two LDS missionaries are seen walking down the sidewalk talking with two men when two other men pull up on a motorcycle and park in front of them. One man jumps off the motorcycle and confronts the missionaries before pulling out a handgun and pointing it at them.
KSL.com reports a short scuffle ensues and one missionary wrestles the gun away from the armed man and points the weapon at him. The second man attempts to get the gun back, but the missionary throws the gun over a tall fence.
The missionary and the man then continue to fight and throw punches down the sidewalk while crossing the street. Another motorcyclist stops and attempts to help the missionaries before the assailants are eventually chased away.
LDS Church officials confirmed the incident took place in the Brazil Manaus Mission and said that neither of the missionaries were seriously injured in the incident.
“We are grateful that this incident did not end tragically, either for the missionaries or the other individuals involved,” LDS Church media relations director Eric Hawkins said in a statement. “The guidance given to missionaries is to avoid conflict. Every situation is unique, and as adults, missionaries must make decisions about their safety. In this case, the assailant had a weapon and the missionary reacted in the moment to protect his life and that of his companion.”
Hawkins also added that the missionaries have been temporarily removed from the area and that they are not “in trouble” for their actions.
The person who uploaded the video posted that the missionary involved in the fight was American, but a spokesperson for the church did not confirm where the missionaries were from.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the video had garnered more than 178,000 views and 1,700 shares.