The moment worshipers restrained the man accused of stabbing a bishop in the middle of a sermon has been captured on video.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, in Sydney’s west, on Monday shortly after 7pm when a man dressed in a dark hoodie approached the altar and stabbed him. repeatedly.
Horrific footage of the incident, which was streamed live on the church’s YouTube page, shows Bishop Emmanuel looking on in shock as the attacker suddenly rains blows on his face and head.
The horrific incident sparked riots outside the church as hundreds gathered in protest, throwing bottles and bricks at a hastily erected police barrier as chants of “an eye for an eye” and “take him out” could be heard.
It is understood the crowd believes the alleged attacker is still inside the building.
Images emerged immediately after the attack of the alleged attacker being pinned face down by at least three people, including a police officer, while smiling and appearing to mock his captors.
The moment worshipers restrained the man accused of stabbing a bishop in the middle of a sermon has been captured on video.
A man, with blood visible on his jeans, sits with his legs straddling the alleged attacker’s head.
‘People are praying and you come and (supposedly) do this?’ the man says as he lightly pats him on the cheek.
The policeman injects: ‘Stop, let him go, please.’ You’re going to make things worse.
But then the man holding the camera moves the other’s leg aside to reveal the alleged attacker’s face.
He is smiling and appears to laugh when the man holding the camera says, “you’re an idiot, you’re going to suck it up.”
The alleged attacker then appears to say: ‘Do you think they will hurt my brother?’ as police officers try to make the men leave.
The situation outside the church and on surrounding streets remains tense with the NSW Public Order Riot Squad deployed to the scene.
“A large police response is underway and the public is urged to avoid the area,” a spokesperson said.
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 7 Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Wakeley, western Sydney, on Monday night when a man dressed in black approached the altar and stabbed him several times (pictured).](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185454_778_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Wakeley, western Sydney, on Monday night when a man dressed in black approached the altar and stabbed him several times (pictured).
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 9 Bishop Emmanuel (pictured) gained notoriety during the pandemic when he criticized Sydney's Covid lockdown as](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185454_896_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
Bishop Emmanuel (pictured) gained notoriety during the pandemic when he criticized Sydney’s Covid lockdown as “mass slavery” and claimed vaccines are useless because living “normally” will increase immunity.
NSW Ambulance said four people were injured in the incident and taken to hospital.
After the stabbing, groups of police officers, completely outnumbered, huddled together as bottles and bricks were thrown at them.
Some in the crowd cheered as car windows were smashed.
Images on social media appeared to show a ladder being used to knock down a church window.
Police attempted to maintain a perimeter at nearby Welcome Park, but it was breached several times by rioters who ran toward the church.
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 11 Police told people to stay away from the church.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185455_79_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 13 Someone was heard screaming](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185455_289_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
There were hostile scenes outside the church as worshipers gathered outside the church.
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 15 Worshipers outside church after stabbing as tensions threatened to boil over](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185456_283_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
Worshipers outside church after stabbing as tensions threatened to boil over
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 17 Police used tear gas to allow their officers to leave the area.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185456_963_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
Police used tear gas to allow their officers to leave the area.
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 19 Police were heavily armed in their efforts to quell a riot outside the church.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185457_418_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
Police were heavily armed in their efforts to quell a riot outside the church.
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 21 A congregation of police officers gather outside the church in Wakeley, Sydney.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185457_998_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
A congregation of police officers gather outside the church in Wakeley, Sydney.
They then fired tear gas to allow their officers to leave the area.
Some of those gathered were heard shouting ‘they are attacking us with gas’.
It comes just 48 hours after a knife-crazed knifeman killed six people at Westfield Bondi Junction.
Joel Cauchi, 40, stabbed five women and a security guard to death and injured several people before being shot dead by a police officer.
A NSW Police spokesperson said Bishop Emmanuel suffered “non-life-threatening injuries”.
“Officers arrested a man and he is assisting police with investigations,” the spokesperson added.
Daily Mail Australia has approached NSW Ambulance for comment.
![Church of Christ the Good Shepherd, Wakeley: Poignant moment as worshipers restrain alleged 'smiling stabber' inside church, as riots break out on Sydney streets 23 The Good Shepherd Church of Christ is in Wakeley, western Sydney.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713185458_679_Church-of-Christ-the-Good-Shepherd-Wakeley-Poignant-moment-as.jpg.webp)
The Good Shepherd Church of Christ is in Wakeley, western Sydney.
Bishop Emmanuel has a large social media following, with more than 17,000 followers on Facebook.
He gained notoriety during the pandemic when he criticized Sydney’s Covid lockdown as “mass slavery” and claimed vaccines are useless because living “normally” will increase immunity.
Iglesia Cristo El Buen Pastor has almost 200,000 subscribers on YouTube.