Injured priest wants suspects to surrender
Father Bernard Carman worships during Mass. Father Carman was injured during an armed robbery in Baltimore.
By Amy Lu
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BALTIMORE (WBAL) — A priest was injured Friday after someone robbed him and hit him with a gun in Little Italy, police said. Father Bernard Carman says he still has some bumps and scrapes from the incident but overall, he is doing OK.
Baltimore City police said a man approached the priest, who is from St. Leo’s Catholic Church, around 4 p.m. on South Exeter Street.
“I had noticed a car behind me already. I noticed there were two figures in it. A man and a woman. Didn’t see them very clearly but saw that they were there,” Carman said.
Police said the priest was getting out of his car when the male assailant told him to give him his wallet. Father Carman said another attacker, a woman, also grabbed his phone.
“Immediately, he pulled out a gun and just kept repeating, ‘Give me your wallet,'” Carman said.
Father Carman says the man hit the side of his head with the gun, reached into his pocket and took the wallet. The woman stole his phone. In the midst of the struggle, Father Carman fell hit his head on a brick wall.
The priest told investigators the man fled in a “newer-model” sedan.
“I just reacted and did what seemed right or instinctive or something,” he said.
Father Carman continues his mission, preaching gospel to parishioners and he hopes to the two assailants, too.
“Turn themselves in. If they would consider let’s say a change of life. If they would consider that there’s an awful lot else that they could do other than beating people up and robbing them. Whatever else they may or may not have done, I have no idea,” said Father Carman during mass Sunday. “Might have been an isolated incident for them, I don’t know.”
Continuing to heal, Father Carman says he’s now working on dialysis treatment. That and forgiveness to his attackers.
“We have to strive to go in that direction. And I’d like them to know that too,” he said. “I feel anger and feel upset. It has been a very disturbing and messed up couple of days for me,” Carman said.
Father Carman said neighbors and an ambulance were able to help him immediately after the incident.
Police have not said if the man or woman have been identified yet or arrested.
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