Detroit pastor gets death threats after arrest at peace rally

DETROIT (WJBK) - Shots fired during a Black Lives Matter rally in Detroit. Some of those activists gave chase, tracking down the suspect and holding him until police arrived.

It's a story we first brought you over the weekend and Wednesday that suspect faced a judge and learned he's facing a long list of serious charges.

Jeffrey Grady, 21, was on the ground after being taken down by a crowd after allegedly stealing these Cartier sunglasses off a man's face and firing a gun during a rally Saturday afternoon.

Pastor Maurice Hardwick was leading the rally on Livernois and on Facebook Live when the shooting started. The rally was supposed to support Living In Peace and Black Lives Matter - but now Pastor Mo says lives are being threatened - and it's personal.

"Because they showed him on the ground, they're upset with me," Hardwick said. "They are upset with me and made a threat saying they're going to kill my children."

Pastor Maurice Hardwick holds back tears as he talks about the threats against his family since Saturday's take down of this suspected thief.

"You disrespect me like this, telling me you're going to shoot my church up and I can't go out and do ministry anymore," Hardwick said. "How dare you."

Pastor Mo says his church on Puritan Street was empty on Sunday and it appears some are very upset with him for how that suspect was manhandled Saturday and others are just afraid for their safety after the death threats.

"When a man is told that they're going to kill you, they are going to catch you at church, they are going to catch you at a rally and find you and shoot you and your family," said Rev. W.J. Rideout. "We are not going to stand for this and we are here today to say enough is enough."

"I have members who have left my ministry," Hardwick said. "Who told me your life is under threat you need to get out of town. I can't come around you anymore."

It is not clear just who is threatening Hardwick - or how those threats are being delivered, but the pastors gathered here say it is serious.

"There have been text threats, there have been communication threats," said Rideout.

"There are allegations that there have been some threats against  the pastor and we're going to investigate that," said Cmdr. Johnny Thomas, 12th Precinct. "At this point we are waiting for the pastor to come in and be interviewed by the investigator."

Police say it's all still part of an open investigation - but so far Jeffrey Grady has been charged with armed robbery and assault with intent to murder.

These religious leaders say they have a message for him - and others who threaten the peace - or the pastors.

"We and other groups do not tolerate this killing, this jacking, this robbing, this raping," said Minister Malik Shabazz. "This black on black, period. We don't tolerate it."

"If you're going to tell me that Black Lives Matter," Rideout said. "Then Black Lives Matter has to start and it has to matter in the black community."