GUARDIAN COPS: Suspect refused to comply at gunpoint… fight...

Above photo: Barnstable Police Officers Brendan Burchell and Anson Moore shortly after the arrest… (Insert: Booking photo of suspect Steven Carpenter…)

CENTERVILLE – [DEVELOPING] A criminal was caught in the act last evening inside of Our Lady of Victory Church.

Over the past several weeks, Barnstable Police have been investigating a string of breaking and enterings at the popular Catholic Church in Centerville (also known to be a favorite church of some of the Kennedy families of Hyannis Port…).

Someone had been repeatedly entering the church and stealing large amounts of collection money from a depository box located in a back office.

Barnstable Police Lieutenant Michael Clark took proactive action and assigned a police officer to hideout inside the church after the last Mass on Saturday.

At about 4:30pm, Barnstable Police Officer Anson Moore was in the area of the church’s balcony. An organist was wrapping up and someone asked Officer Moore if he wanted them to leave the lights on. Moore received an astonished look when he said he didn’t. He then did his best to make himself comfortable in the pitch darkness.

Officer Moore took a position and it was now an uncertain and lonely waiting game.

About 4 hours later, Officer Moore heard the front doors to the church open. The suspect apparently possessed a key to the main entrance.

Moore then observed a large galoot-like man walking toward the back office up behind the alter. The man seemed to know exactly where he was going.

As Moore approached the office, he observed the suspect removing a bag containing a large sum of money. The suspect was using what appeared to be a wire coat hanger to gain access and remove items from the secure wooden church depository box where the collection money is kept.

Moore approached the suspect with a flashlight and gun drawn, ordering him not to move.

The suspect quickly slammed an office door, briefly cutting off Officer Moore. Moore, who did not have his Taser, was not deterred. He came face to face with the suspect once again and gave him orders a second time at gunpoint…

The large suspect wasn’t complying and suddenly charged the officer.

It was now a case of hand-to-hand combat and survival for the veteran police officer. (Officers later reported the burly suspect weighed over 280 pounds!)

The fight ensued inside the church and eventually onto the Altar. Artifacts and relics were overturned as Moore did his best to take the aggressive man into custody.

Miraculously, an off duty Barnstable Police Officer just happened to be in the area during the fight. Officer Brendan Burchell heard what was going on and quickly came to the aid of his brother police officer.

At some point the fight spilled out from inside the church into the parking lot. Moore recalls grabbing and ripping the suspects clothing… a man hellbent on escaping. It was then, in the well lighted lot, that both officers were able to finally secure the suspect in handcuffs.

Steven Carpenter, age 27, is said to be a former employee of the church. He was arrested and charged with B&E Nighttime, B&E to a Depository, Possession of Burglarious Tools, Assault and Battery on a Police Officer (two counts), Disorderly Conduct, and Resisting Arrest…

He was transported back to Barnstable Police Headquarters for booking and was held on $2500 bail… At last report, Carpenter was in the process of being bailed out. He is expected to be arraigned in Barnstable District Court on Monday, June 1st.

Neither police officer was injured… and Lieutenant Clark noted that both officers did a great job and are a credit to the Barnstable Police force.

HN arrived shortly after the arrest and took the following footage of the scene. The suspect was camera shy and skillfully managed to keep his back to camera…

[Press play… Select HD in the settings and enlarge player for best quality…]

Official Barnstable PD press statement:

The Barnstable Police Department received a complaint regarding monies that were missing from the Our Lady of Victory Church in Centerville. During the investigation, officers determined that last Saturday evening, (5/23/15), a suspect gained access to the church through locked doors and once inside the church gained access to the locked room where some money had been secured for the evening. The suspect then gained entry to the secure locked depository and stole some of the church offering envelopes.

On 5/30/15, Officer Anson Moore was assigned to conduct surveillance inside the church in the event that the suspect returned. At approximately 2015 hours, Officer Moore observed a subject, later identified as Steven Carpenter, enter through the main doors of the church and head directly to the locked office where the money is stored. Carpenter gained access to the locked office and closed the door behind him, at which point, Officer Moore followed the suspect and opened the office door. Carpenter slammed the door closed and ran out of a different door leading from the office to the main area of the church. Officer Moore pursued Carpenter and advised him that he was under arrest, at which time Carpenter charged at Officer Moore and pushed him. Officer Moore grabbed onto Carpenter and Carpenter continued to be combative. Carpenter then slipped out of his shirt and sweatshirt and ran out of the side door of the church, at which point Officer Moore caught up with Carpenter. Again Carpenter became extremely combative and fought with Officer Moore. Officer Brendan Burchell was also in the area and he and Officer Moore were able to overcome Carpenter’s combative behavior and take Carpenter into custody………

HN photo:

BPD booking photo: