Cell Phone In Man's Chest Pocket Stops Bullet

COVINGTON, La. — A man says his cell phone saved his life. A stray .45-caliber bullet hit R.J. Richard's chest while he was mowing the lawn _ hitting so hard he thought it was a stone kicked out by his tractor. He pulled out the phone. It fell apart.

The 68-year-old man was bruised. He said doctors told him two things prevented worse injury, maybe even death: the phone, and the fact that the bullet came in at an angle rather than head-on.

Reports of pocket Bibles saving their owners' lives pop up every so often. Richard says he's sure that God told him to put the phone in his overalls chest pocket rather than a pants pocket as usual. He said that Saturday's incident increased his faith.

He figured the bullet was fired by a hunter in woods near his 5-acre property.

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Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.timespicayune.com

Information from: WWL-TV, http://www.wwltv.com

Information from: WDSU-TV, http://www.wdsu.com

Comments

[HC4BO]

02:51 PM on 11/21/2008

Ban ALL Guns ...

F... The NRA ...

[RuffNReddy]

01:19 PM on 11/21/2008

We need more gun control... to protect innocent cellphones!

[RobinLandseadel]

12:26 PM on 11/21/2008

This reminds me of an old Woody Allen story, about a bullet that his grandfather had given to Woody to keep in his shirt pocket and how it stopped a Bible [thrown by some raving street-corner preacher] from killing him.

[AnnArky]

10:31 AM on 11/21/2008

God told me to put my cell phone in the toilet every night to keep rats from coming up through the sewer - it worked!

God told me that if I hammer a nail into the side of my head it would really hurt - yep, right again.

God told me that he never tells anything to anyone.

[jerrypl]

10:29 AM on 11/21/2008

I always knew there was another use for cell phones!

http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com

[wadenelson1]

10:23 AM on 11/21/2008

Enough gun nuts in this country and enough cellphones....it was bound to happen sooner or later.

[Scudrunner]

09:38 AM on 11/21/2008

A .45 caliber bullet is usually a pistol round and not generally used to hunt due to short range capability. Seems to me that there's more to this story and as usual we just get a minimal amount of info.

[Babysnake]

12:06 PM on 11/21/2008

A lot of muzzle loaders are 45 cal. Rifles.

[Scudrunner]

09:13 PM on 11/22/2008

True and something I didn't consider. Could also explain a slower velocity that could be thwarted by a cellphone. Thanks.

[BlackJAC]

09:06 AM on 11/21/2008

That's nothing: I heard a story years ago about a cop who was shot at, and the bullet deflected off the Cross pen in his shirt pocket.

[RossForChange]

08:36 AM on 11/21/2008

I don't understand some people. Why does 'God' have to be responsible for this?! Could it just be a coincidence? Yes, I think so ha.

[badtimes]

09:09 AM on 11/21/2008

Why didn't god point the bullet in another direction?

[JiminNC]

09:50 AM on 11/21/2008

Or tell the hunter to not pull the trigger? Or make the lawmower run out of gas one minute earlier? Why does GOD hate cell phones?

[aceholiday]

09:25 AM on 11/21/2008

applause

[stevemarvin]

08:21 AM on 11/21/2008

The gunfire was just some neighbor's way of saying, "Can you hear me now?"

[MorpheusXNYC]

09:16 AM on 11/21/2008

LMAO!!!! That's hilarious.

[Bosoxfan]

07:52 AM on 11/21/2008

What a crock! A 45 cal stopped by a plastic cell phone? He must have pre- arranged this with JOE-THE-FREAKIN PLUMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Donns]

06:52 AM on 11/21/2008

I vision a new ad campaign. Instead of some idiot asking "can you hear me now?" Picture this, a street any city USA. A band of gang members standing on a corner annoying little old ladies. A rival gang's car appears down the block. All the gang guys whip out their pieces and the leader says, "ok bros get your cell phones in your pockets so we are protected and lets off these MFs."

Remember when you start filming this, it was my idea and I want my percentage.

[dadw5boys]

06:59 AM on 11/21/2008

Comming soon Cell Phones with 2 in steel full metal jacket !

[Bosoxfan]

07:55 AM on 11/21/2008

Equip all our troops with plastic cell phones and get rid of that kevlar junk. They're better and cheaper.

[kolorkin]

03:15 AM on 11/21/2008

oh come on people...this is a testament to the presence and power of Luck and its significance in some of our lives - the lucky ones. This brings back memory of one of my favourite movies - Matchpoint - by Woody Allen who's brilliant portrayal of Luck caused me to believe, arguably, how some people has it and how some people just doesn't. So I'm not sure how much religious faith or simply replacing your cell phone will do the trick. I guess if you're time's up, it's up. That's just my 2cents. ;)

[MellowDrama]

01:34 AM on 11/21/2008

I'm not a hunter, but I don't think they use .45 caliber bullets. Probably Dog the Bounty Hunter.

[RuffNReddy]

01:23 PM on 11/21/2008

You know, you're right.
Who uses a handgun to 'hunt'?
Aren't rifles more appropriate?

[SoCalAmerican]

01:13 AM on 11/21/2008

I wonder if my iPhone loves me that much?

[mairs]

02:03 AM on 11/21/2008

The 3G has a plastic back, not metal like the first one, so if you have that one, I guess not.

[TEEDOG]

10:21 AM on 11/21/2008

My cell phone won't even give me good reception, let alone take a bullet for me......