Thomas Martin McGouey
A dministrator at Peace At Last and survivor of a suicide-by-police attempt discusses his new calling

As Interviewed on Sept. 16, 2003. I was financially stable, had it all really, but there was just something totally missing in my life that I just couldn’t fill. I had decided that death seemed like the only answer for me. I had planned it almost like a military operation where nobody would possibly be hurt except for myself. I painted a bullseye on myself to send a direct message to my sister that this was planned. I called the police, and said, “There’s a crazy guy running around with a gun.” I was over in West Knoxville, in a field out in front of the apartment complex where I lived. I was looking straight up at the sky, and there was one star there, and I looked up and prayed on it that it was going to be over quickly and as painlessly as possible. With all the screaming going on and six flashlights pointed in my direction, it was pretty surreal. I had…an unloaded BB gun…behind me in my belt and started walking toward [police officers]. They shot at me 28 times, and one [bullet] hit me.

You say you believe God stood in the way of those 27 missed bullets. Did you ever think the cops just had lousy aim?
No. These are trained professionals, and I could see maybe one or two having bad aim. The Lord was standing in front of me and saying that I had purpose and work to do. It happened so quickly I don’t know which one of the 28 hit me, but I’ll tell you when a 40-caliber bullet hits you, it grabs your attention. I got hit between the chest and the shoulder, and it hurt, it burnt. I thought it was a mortal wound. From looking at the blood, I thought I was going to bleed out.

You spent 16 months in jail for felony aggravated assault and felony reckless endangerment.
I was there a long time in the penal farm, but it gave me a long time to reflect. The Lord touched me there, and life has been phenomenal ever since. When you’re at your lowest point, and you’ve humbled yourself, and you’re prepared to make changes, I certainly did feel a drive and desire to help other people, to get the focus off myself, and I tried to do that as a spiritual leader while I was there.

What’s drawn you to work with the homeless?
The Lord had touched me to look at this one halfway house called Peace At Last, the only faith-based halfway house from here to all the way up to Virginia. As soon as I walked through the doors, I knew one way or the other that I would be involved with it. They’ve been unbelievable. A lot of the secular houses, to me they deal with the addiction or the problems, but not what’s causing them, and until you’ve delved into what the problem is, you’re never going to get it resolved. I went through the program, a six-month program, and now I’m the administrator here at Peace At Last ministry. I’m a volunteer, and I’m down at the courthouse trying to help other people change their lives. I went from making six figures down to making minimum wage, and have never been richer in my entire life.

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