Moment churchgoer points gun at pastor in middle of North Braddock service before dead body found at his house
THE shocking moment a man allegedly attempted to shoot at a pastor during a sermon was caught on a live-stream.
Bernard Junior Polite entered Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, Pennsylvania on Sunday where he allegedly fired his gun at pastor Glenn Germany who was live-streaming a sermon at the time.
Germany has since described to ABC affiliate WTAE what went through his mind during the attack in which he had no choice but to “try to run for cover.”
When the 26-year-old’s firearm failed to discharge, Clarence McCallister, a member of the congregation helped take down the suspect.
No one was harmed in the incident at the church but authorities have since confirmed that a dead man was found at Polite’s home on Sunday evening.
“First responders found an adult male victim deceased inside a residence,” the Allegheny Country Police Department said in a statement.
“Detectives are initiating the investigation.”
The man has since been identified as Derek Polite, 56, but no charges have yet been filed regarding his death.
Meanwhile, Polite has been charged with the incident at the church including attempted homicide and aggravated assault.
‘RUN FOR COVER’
“I’m thankful to God that I’m still here because he definitely pulled the trigger,” Germany said about the alleged attempt on his life.
“I was like, this is not happening. I thank God because only God stopped and jammed his gun.”
Footage of the incident from Sunday afternoon allegedly shows Polite in a black t-shirt approaching Germany who is addressing the congregation.
The suspect then raises his right arm and appears to level the gun at the pastor’s head before the firearm fails to discharge.
Germany can be seen running for cover behind the pulpit, ducking his head, and leaping behind the wooden structure.
The gunman then slowly attempts to follow the pastor before McCallister runs up behind him and tackles the suspect to the floor.
With the help of Germany, the pair managed to get the gun off the suspect and detain him until Pennsylvania State Police officers arrived and he was arrested.
“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,” the pastor recalled.
“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.”
‘HERO’
Germany thanked the heroic work of McCallister saying, “he could have lost his life” but instead “sacrificed himself” and was a “hero.”
“I was running the camera, so all I could see was somebody walked up on the pulpit, and after they got up on the pulpit they raised the gun up,” McCallister told KPLCTV.
“Once they raised the gun up, I jumped up, you know, from behind, got him from behind, struggled him down to the ground.”
Despite Polite’s alleged actions, both Germany and McCallister say that they forgive him and are thankful that no one was hurt.
The pastor spoke to Polite following the initial shock of the incident to ask him “Why?”
Germany explained to the news outlet that the alleged gunman initially said he did not know why he did it.
He then told the pastor that he was sorry and that he “wanted to shoot somebody.”
“This guy was just dealing with spirits he said, and then he came in and wanted to shoot somebody,” Germany said adding that Polite claimed he had voices in his head.
‘BE STRONG’
As Germany continues to process Sunday’s events, he said that his main concern is for his 14-year-old daughter who was in the congregation that day.
Despite everything that happened that day, the pastor explained that what “hurt the most” was watching his “daughter break down,” he told CBS News affiliate KDKA.
“I had to be strong for her, but I couldn’t take it, and just seeing her, that’s the part that’s hard for me to digest.”
According to police, Polite confessed that he attempted to shoot Germany because “God told him to do it” and that going to jail would clear his mind, per a WTAE report.
Polite is currently being held in the Allegheny County Jail after being denied bail and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week.
