Police: Ohio driver's bible booklet stops bullet

DAYTON, Ohio - Police in southwest Ohio were seeking three men Tuesday in the shooting of a transit bus driver they say survived with the apparent help of a biblical booklet in his shirt pocket.

The Regional Transit Authority bus driver told police Monday he was standing outside the vehicle when the men shot at him three times, with one bullet hitting his leg.

Rickey Wagoner, 49, told police he fought back and the men ran away after he stabbed one with a pen.

In a 911 call, Wagoner said he felt two shots to his chest, but he didn't think the bullets got through the booklet in his shirt pocket. Dayton police said two small-caliber bullets hit the booklet called "The Message," which has Bible verses in contemporary language.

"It just feels like I've been hit with a sledgehammer," Wagoner said. "I've got a book in my pocket and I don't think they made it through this book."

The Dayton Daily News reported that police said Wagoner was recovering in a hospital from injuries, which also included a stab wound to his arm. They said the assault appeared to be random.

Police said Wagoner, of Trotwood, had stopped his bus to check a possible mechanical problem. After the assault, he drove to a nearby regional transit hub and called 911.

"Amazingly, his injuries are not life-threatening," Dayton Police Sgt. Michael Pauley said.