Police in Pennsylvania are looking into the discovery of a man who was fatally shot at the home of another man who brandished a gun at a pastor during a live-streamed church service on Sunday morning.
Bernard Polite, 26, was taken into custody after his firearm malfunctioned at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock. He was about to aim the gun at Pastor Glenn Germany during the church service, which was being live-streamed, when a church deacon tackled him to the ground.
Germany sought cover behind the pulpit as Polite approached him. However, Deacon Clarence McCallister intervened and wrestled the gunman to the ground with the help of others present, managing to take the gun away and restrain Polite until law enforcement arrived.
“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,” Germany told WTAE. ” … Suddenly, I just saw a gun pointing right at me. And at that point, all I could try to do is run for cover.”
Germany stated that he did not recognize the man but had seen him in the church prior to the incident.
McAllister, he told KDKA, is “a hero.”
“There’s something that needs to be done and I jumped up and handled my business,” McCallister said.
According to WTAE, a criminal complaint indicated that Polite informed the police that “God told him to do it.” Germany mentioned to KDKA that he had conversed with the gunman while waiting for law enforcement.
“This guy was just dealing with spirits, he said, and he came in and wanted to shoot somebody,” according to the pastor, who added that Polite said their were voices in his mind.
Hours later, police arrived at Polite’s home and found a man shot to death there. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified him as 56-year-old Derek Polite, but police have not confirmed a relationship with the church gunman.
Bernard Polite was arraigned early Monday morning on various charges related to the church incident, including attempted murder. A preliminary hearing is set for later this month.
[Featured image: WTAE screenshot]