Hero Pastor Tackles Robbery Suspect During Church Sermon

A 21-year-old man was arrested on Sunday after he allegedly tried to rob a Florida church congregation during the sermon. 

Pastor Les Snodgrass was delivering a sermon entitled "The Value of Life," when John Grace drew a weapon and told everyone to get on the ground and hand over their money, Snodgrass said.

"He pulled a gun from his bag and put [it] up to my mother's head," Snodgrass told WKMG .

Snodgrass said he tried to divert Grace's attention from his mother to himself. After a few moments, he got close enough to spring into action.

"I just pushed against the wall with all my might," he said. "I had him by the shoulders, and as soon as I did that, my son leapt from the platform into the air and pounced on him. He punched him twice in the head."

The weapon that Grace had was an "airsoft BB gun realistically modeled after a Sig Sauer pistol," WTSP reports . He also had a large knife, according to police.

Snodgrass said that Grace had visited the Door Christian Fellowship Church in Melbourne sporadically over the previous few years, but was not a regular congregant.

Grace is charged with robbery, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment, Brevard County records show.