Law enforcement in Western Pennsylvania are investigating after video footage shows a 26-year-old man pulled a gun on a preacher during a live-streamed church service Sunday.
Police are also investigating after they reported that officers also found a man fatally shot to death in the suspect’s home later that evening.
Just before 1:10 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police say troopers responded to Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock after the suspect enter the church and attempted to shoot the preacher during his sermon.
North Braddock, a borough in Allegheny County, is about 9 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh.
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Suspect identified, pastor speaks
Troopers identified the suspect as Bernard Junior Polite of North Braddock.
“Polite pointed a firearm at the pastor, attempted to shoot, but the firearm failed to discharge,” police wrote in a news release.
“The gun did not go off, but he definately pulled the trigger,” the preacher, Glenn Germany, told USA TODAY Monday morning by phone. “It was a gentleman who randomly did something up the road. Police said he killed his uncle, and the next place he came was the church. He said spirits were telling him to shoot a pastor.”
Video shows suspect point gun directly at preacher at pulpit
Video obtained by USA TODAY shows a man in a black T-shirt walk directly toward Germany as he preaches, pull out a firearm and aim it directly at him.
Immediately, a church congregant runs up behind the armed suspect, tackles him and Germany and another churchgoer help disarm the suspect on the ground.
Germany identified the congregant who tackled the suspect as Clarence McCallister, a 63-year-old deacon who has attended the church for the past nine years.
“Everything is well,” Germany said, his voice raspy as if he had not slept much. “At this point it’s just about being grateful. “
‘He smiled at me’, pastor says of man who pulled gun on him
Prior to the suspect entering the sanctuary, Germany said he noticed the suspect in the building.
“He came in and out of the church a couple times, during praise and worship and then all the sudden he sat in the back and came to the front and he smiled at me,” Germany recalled.
“He stopped in the middle of the pulpit, pulled the gun out and it just jammed,” Germany recalled, before covering his face with his hands and trying to take cover.
Body later found at home near church
Later that day, at 8:15 p.m., the Allegheny County Police Department reported that officers found a man fatally shot inside the home where Stokes lives.
Police reported the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim to USA TODAY as Derek Polite, 56, of North Braddock.
As of Monday morning no charges had been filed in connection to the victim’s homicide and it was not immediatly known how the suspect and victim were related.
USA TODAY has reached out to state troopers and police for more information.
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Germany was preaching about miracles before gun jammed
Germany, who has worked at the church for 14 years, said about 50 people regularly attend the Sunday morning church service,
The preacher said his brother, Gary Germany, is the church’s senior pastor who usually preaches each Sunday.
Before the melee, Germany said he was preaching about understanding God’s ways.
“How he is able to heal and perform miracles, and how his ways can keeping you out of harms way,” Germany said.
After police arrived and took the suspect into custody, Germany said the congregation stayed at the church for several hours to support one another and try and make some sense of what took place
“We stayed until 5 p.m. tying to decipher the whole situation,” Germany said. “We were all ignorant as to why he came in. No one knew him.”
“I really thank God because I was informed after church the police were at his house and found his uncle shot to death,” Germany said.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man pulls gun on pastor mid-sermon, members come to the rescue: Watch
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