During a church service in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, chaos ensued when a man aimed a gun at the pastor while he was delivering his sermon.
The individual, identified as 26-year-old Bernard Polite from Braddock, entered Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church just after 1 p.m. on Sunday and attempted to shoot Pastor Glenn Germany.
A video making rounds online, recorded by a church deacon captures the tense moment when the pastor was confronted with the gun. “I couldn’t believe it was happening,” Pastor Germany remarked, relieved that no shots were fired due to what he believes was divine intervention.
Deacon Clarence McCallister reacted swiftly, leaping in front of the camera to tackle Polite to the ground.
Pastor Germany praised McCallister as a hero for his courageous actions.
With McCallister’s assistance, Pastor Germany managed to keep Polite restrained until police arrived to arrest him.
Polite now faces serious charges, including aggravated assault and attempted homicide.
Pastor Germany later conversed with Polite, who claimed to be struggling with inner “spirits” and voices that led him to the violent act.
Germany suspects Polite may be suffering from mental illness.
Despite forgiving Polite for his actions, Pastor Germany is deeply affected by the incident, especially as he witnessed his 14-year-old daughter’s emotional distress during the service.
He hopes to use this harrowing experience to highlight the reality of mental illness among his congregation.
