Church official describes tense confrontation with armed man

Days after the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office finished its investigation, a Brewton Baptist Church official discussed the response to an 18-year-old man who brought a semi-automatic weapon on church property last weekend.

According to LCSO Capt. Robbie Toney, the young man was charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and possession of a pistol by an underage person. They do not believe he was there with any “ill intent.” 

“We checked his phone and there was nothing on his phone, and we even had Homeland Security check and they had nothing on him or any correspondence,” Toney said. “His story lined up with what (another person) told us.” 

A church security team member involved in the incident, who asked to be identified as a spokesperson for the church, said another Brewton Baptist member saw a car pull into the parking lot and a young man, later identified as Duzten Smith, got out wearing a coat with a hoodie and a backpack. He walked to the pavilion, which is more than 30 to 40 yards behind the church.

“He was dressed in dark clothing. The church member who saw this was concerned.” 

Officials looked at the camera footage and watched the man’s behavior. It was decided to go ahead and call 911. The spokesman and another member of the church’s security team – who both had prior military or law enforcement experience – walked out and watched the young man, who was on his cellphone, for a while before approaching him.

“We went down to question him. We had him approach us and gave him a series of questions and his answers did not seem to match up. We had him show us his hands, which he kept wanting to put in his pockets.” 

The young man was asked to empty his pockets and he did. They also asked him several times if he had any weapons, and he said no. He was asked to pull up his pants because they were sagging.

“When he did, there was a bulge that came out at his chest level,” the security team member said. “I reached in, grabbed it and asked what that was? He said, ‘That’s my AR,’ as he pushed my hand away. That was when we drew our guns.” 

A third member of the security team joined them and he removed the gun, discovering it had a 30-round clip and a round in the chamber. The gun was described an AR-style weapon loaded with rifle rounds.

“We held him at gunpoint until the sheriff’s office and Georgia State Patrol responded,” the security team member said. “They took him into custody, and while they were doing that, the automobile that dropped him off returned and law enforcement stopped the driver and questioned them as well.” 

He said they also were wondering why he was dropped off at the church and what was he doing being with that type of weapon.

“We responded to him (originally) because of the fact of the location he was at,” the security team member said. “He was dropped off by a car that drove off, he was wearing a hoodie and he went straight to our pavilion behind the church. Those were all red flags. The vantage point of where he was, prompted us to confront him. 

“There were a lot of precursors to this that were screaming red flags and caused us to challenge his presence.”