Bible in man's pocket 'stopped' bullets

Rickey Wagoner told police in Dayton, Ohio, that he was repairing an electrical fault in his bus early yesterday morning when unknown attackers approached him and shot him three times.

One bullet struck the 49-year-old's right leg and the other two hit him in chest, reports the Dayton Daily News.

Sgt. Michael Pauley said the two bullets fired into Wagoner's chest were "stopped" by a modern translation of the Bible called The Message carried in his front pocket.

There was obviously some kind of intervention involved in this incident, because he probably should not be here," Sgt. Pauley said.

"God's on Rick's side," added Lillie Brown, a long-time friend of Wagoner's.

Wagoner told police he was attacked by three men in their late teens.

When Wagoner turned to face them, one of the young men fired two shots at his chest. He managed to wrestle the gun from the shooter but was hit in the leg during the struggle.

Another man stabbed Wagoner in the left arm with a knife during the fight. Wagoner stabbed the man in the leg with a pen and the trio of attackers fled by car.

He fired the gun at the attackers as they ran from him.

The seemingly random attack may have been a gang initiation ritual, according to police documents.