Detroit pastor shot and killed at bank drive-thru

**Zacha341** · October-26-13, 07:11 AM

Happened 9:30 AM... 10/25... See video in link as witnesses give description of incident and described assailant. This killer is on the loose. May have been involved in an ATM robbery also. See details below:

DETROIT [[WXYZ) - Detroit Police are searching for the man who shot and killed a Charter One Bank customer as he pulled up to the bank's drive-up window.

It happened around 9:45 a.m. on East Warren Avenue near Outer Drive on the city's east side.

The victim, 62-year-old James Blade, had just pulled up to the window when the suspect walked up to the passenger side of his pink BMW.
Witnesses say the suspect fired 5 or 6 shots into the car.

The shooter then walked around to the driver's side of the vehicle, pulled the victim out of the car, pistol whipped him and searched through his pockets.
Police say the shooter then took off on foot.

Pastor Blade's sister, Evelyn Cross, says her brother counseled the homeless and drug-addicted and would have helped anyone. She's pleading for help in finding the person responsible.

"If you know who did this, come forward," Cross says.
Detroit Police detectives think the man who killed Pastor Blade is connected to a robbery that took place a few miles away at Gratiot and Lappin.

A retired Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy was walking away from an ATM when a man approached her, fired shots and stole her purse with her gun in it. About an hour later is when Pastor Blade was fatally shot and robbed. If you have any information please call Detroit Police Homicide Unit.

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/...#ixzz2ipTtKeum

**Chicago48** · October-26-13, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Happened 9:30 AM... 10/25... See video in link as witnesses give description of that incident and describe that assailant. This killer is on the loose. May have been involved in an ATM robbery also. See details below:

DETROIT [[WXYZ) - Detroit Police are searching for the man who shot and killed a Charter One Bank customer as he pulled up to the bank's drive-up window.

It happened around 9:45 a.m. on East Warren Avenue near Outer Drive on the city's east side.

The victim, 62-year-old James Blade, had just pulled up to the window when the suspect walked up to the passenger side of his pink BMW.
Witnesses say the suspect fired 5 or 6 shots into the car.

The shooter then walked around to the driver's side of the vehicle, pulled the victim out of the car, pistol whipped him and searched through his pockets.
Police say the shooter then took off on foot.

Pastor Blade's sister, Evelyn Cross, says her brother counseled the homeless and drug-addicted and would have helped anyone. She's pleading for help in finding the person responsible.

"If you know who did this, come forward," Cross says.
Detroit Police detectives think the man who killed Pastor Blade is connected to a robbery that took place a few miles away at Gratiot and Lappin.

A retired Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy was walking away from an ATM when a man approached her, fired shots and stole her purse with her gun in it. About an hour later is when Pastor Blade was fatally shot and robbed. If you have any information please call Detroit Police Homicide Unit.

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/...#ixzz2ipTtKeum

This is enough to scare anybody. You can't walk into the bank, you can't drive up.
There is probably a camera with the surveillance.

**bailey** · October-26-13, 06:15 PM

80-100k hot pink 7 series BMW. .."pastor"....uh huh.

**steve from virginia** · October-26-13, 07:19 PM

Chief Craig is on the case right this minute ..

**softailrider** · October-26-13, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

80-100k hot pink 7 series BMW. .."pastor"....uh huh.

Looked like it was several years old. Also, i'm pretty sure Pink isn't a factory color.

**DetroitPlanner** · October-26-13, 08:03 PM

Was the door unlocked? Probably not when he got there.

By what I have heard and read there are at least two explainations... maybe folks here can think of more, but these are my guesses.

1. The passenger side was shot up first. He may have opened the door to try to exit.

2. The assailant was seen pistol whipping the victim. Since the pastor was in a drive thru, his window may have been wide open for the transaction.

**innercitydoc** · October-26-13, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

Looked like it was several years old. Also, i'm pretty sure Pink isn't a factory color.

This car was owned by Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans and painted pink for breast cancer awareness. It was then auctioned off to the victim just FYI. People should have the right to drive whatever custom vehicle they like without some thug trying to rob you. You just can't have anything in the city. Just ask pastor Winans.

**John** · October-26-13, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

Looked like it was several years old. Also, i'm pretty sure Pink isn't a factory color.

The 12-cylinder luxury car, once was owned by professional football player Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans. Johnson had it painted pink in 2009 in support of breast cancer awareness.

It was sold late last year at Motor City Pawn Brokers Inc. in Roseville.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2ishCqrgs

**Cliffy** · October-26-13, 08:32 PM

They weren't interested in the car though because they did't try to carjack him. They just shot him and left.

**Newdetroit** · October-26-13, 09:13 PM

There seems to be more to the story. I think the use of the word pastor may make us jump to conclusions about whether the person was engaging in any criminal activity. Either way, nobody deserves to be killed. I feel bad for his 6 year old son. [[Didn't say that the pastor was married)

**DetBill** · October-26-13, 09:20 PM

the shooting crime in this city is getting way out of hand,, not that it hasnt been for years but it seems to be getting worse and worse,,Police have little or no effect,, and the criminals are rampant... Extremely worrisome..Where are we going ? Seems nobody is safe to step out anywhere,, Soon people will start to leave in large numbers again if this continues. Will totally squash downtown and midtown residential growth if they are not careful

**Gistok** · October-26-13, 10:10 PM

Sadly this bank branch lies within the footprint of East English Village...

**Ben** · October-26-13, 10:31 PM

Gosh, I feel terrible for the pastor and his family, especially his son. I just can't believe stuff like this is happening. I feel like people can't even feel safe using an ATM or a drive through. Things like this are why many suburban residents don't go into the city except for work.

**renf** · October-27-13, 08:36 AM

The tragic recent murders in Detroit remind us of the great challenges
facing Governor Snyder and Manager Orr. However, the murder rate
is apparently declining, not increasing. Through August 9 of this year,
the Detroit Police Department recorded 197 homicides. That is a 6.1
percent drop in the number of homicides from the same period in
2012. At least the murder rate is falling, although it remains very
high compared to other large cities.

**softailrider** · October-27-13, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by innercitydoc

This car was owned by Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans and painted pink for breast cancer awareness. It was then auctioned off to the victim just FYI. People should have the right to drive whatever custom vehicle they like without some thug trying to rob you. You just can't have anything in the city. Just ask pastor Winans.

That's very laudable. I'm all for cancer research - my Mother died of lung cancer and I lost my sister to colon cancer- but it was still a pink BMW.

**Cliffy** · October-27-13, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by renf

The tragic recent murders in Detroit remind us of the great challenges
facing Governor Snyder and Manager Orr. However, the murder rate
is apparently declining, not increasing. Through August 9 of this year,
the Detroit Police Department recorded 197 homicides. That is a 6.1
percent drop in the number of homicides from the same period in
2012. At least the murder rate is falling, although it remains very
high compared to other large cities.

The murder "count" is falling because the population keeps dropping. The murder rate per 100,000 is the number you should look at.

**Hermod** · October-27-13, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Ben

Things like this are why many suburban residents don't go into the city except for work.

And lobby their employer to move the jobs to a suburban location.

**Gistok** · October-27-13, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ben

Things like this are why many suburban residents don't go into the city except for work.

They also go for sports, entertainment and culture... most suburbanites will venture to go downtown and Midtown/New Center, but generally want to avoid the neighborhoods...

**Meddle** · October-27-13, 04:54 PM

Guess that lifetime of prayin' didn't accomplish much.

**Zacha341** · October-29-13, 04:43 AM

If you knew the Word, you'd know that the rain sometimes falls on the just as well as the unjust.

Originally Posted by Meddle

Guess that lifetime of prayin' didn't accomplish much.

**Zacha341** · October-29-13, 04:45 AM

The color of the car means little in this case. It could have been someone he knew. My car is the nondescript color of wet concrete [[Sage) and I take care where I go and have an alarm.

Originally Posted by Cliffy

They weren't interested in the car though because they did't try to carjack him. They just shot him and left.