Ohio bus driver says Bible tucked in shirt pocket stopped two bullets during attack

An Ohio bus driver says a Bible tucked into his shirt pocket saved his life Monday morning.

Police said the assailants shot 49-year-old Rickey Waggoner twice, but the bullets were stopped by a copy of “The Message,” a paraphrasing of the Bible into contemporary English by Eugene Peterson.

"There was obviously some kind of intervention involved in this incident because (Waggoner) should probably not be here,” said Sgt. Michael Pauley of Dayton police.

Waggoner, an RTA bus driver, called police to report that he’d been shot and stabbed by three men while he attempted to fix a mechanical malfunction.

He told police the assailants appeared to be in their late teens and were wearing dark blue bandanas that suggested a gang affiliation.

Waggoner told police that one of the assailants told another to kill him “if you want to be all the way in the club.”

The driver said he tried wrestling the gun away from his assailant after he fired twice, and he was shot again the right leg.

Another attacker then stabbed him in the left arm but he was able to grab the gun and knife, police said.

The assailants then fled to a waiting car as Waggoner emptied the gun’s clip at them, possibly striking one.

Police said Waggoner held a valid concealed-carry permit and was familiar with firearms.

He was hospitalized but is expected to recover.

No arrests have been made, and police said they found no evidence to suggest the attack was a robbery attempt.

[Image: Man in a red shirt hugging the Holy Bible via Shutterstock]