Moment deacon tackles gunman trying to shoot pastor during live sermon
A pastor was delivering a sermon when a gunman pointed a gun at him in a terrifying moment caught on livestream.
Footage from Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church shows Pastor Glenn Germany preaching and a man going up toward the front and pulling a gun on him on Sunday afternoon.
Germany runs to take shelter as the church’s deacon, Clarence McCallister, yells, ‘stop!’ and grabs the suspect from behind, dragging him to the floor.
The pastor quickly emerges from his hiding spot and also wrestles the suspect.
McCallister manages to grab ahold of the weapon and walks away, as Germany continues to pin him down to the floor of the church in North Braddock, Pennsylvania.
‘Call the police, somebody,’ says the deacon. ‘Call the police!’
McCallister paces around holding and shaking his head with the silver gun still in his right hand.
The gun of the suspect, identified as Bernard Junior Polite, 26, failed to discharge, said Pennsylvania State Police.
‘I’m thankful to God that I’m still here.’ Germany told WTAE. ‘Because he definitely pulled the trigger.’
The pastor detailed the scary moment that the suspected gunman confronted him.
‘I started to begin to preach, and all of a sudden, from my left-hand side, I saw him move from the back to the front of the church, and he set up in the front corner of the church and smiled at me,’ said Germany.
‘All of a sudden, I just saw a gun pointing right at me. And at that point, all I could try to do is run for cover.’
Germany praised McCallister, saying, ‘He could have lost his life in that struggle, but he sacrificed himself for everyone, and he’s the hero.’
Troopers arrested Polite at the crime scene and he was arraigned on Monday morning and charged with attempted homicide.
Police upon searching Polite’s home on Sunday night also found a man shot dead inside. The victim was not immediately identified.
The pastor said he had never seen Pastor before.
According to court documents obtained by ABC6, Pastor said of the church incident that ‘God told him to do it’.
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