A church service in Pennsylvania nearly took a fatal turn this week when a man pulled a gun on a pastor in the middle of his sermon.
Bernard Polite, 26, of Braddock, Pennsylvania, was charged after entering the church on Sunday and attempting to shoot Pastor Glenn Germany while he was giving his weekly address at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church.
The attempted shooting took place shortly after 1:00 pm on Sunday and was captured on video and posted online so everyone could see the horrific moment.
Bernard Polite, 26, of Braddock, Pennsylvania, was charged after entering the church on Sunday and attempting to shoot Pastor Glenn Germany while he was giving his weekly address at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church.
The video shows the moment when Germany is looking down the barrel of a gun fired at him by a disheveled-looking man.
Miraculously, no bullets came out and the shooter was quickly tackled by church deacon Clarence McCallister, who can be seen jumping in front of the camera and tackling the offender to the ground.
McCallister said CBS News who saw “something that needed to be done, and I jumped up and went about my business.”
Germany, whose life was likely saved by McCallister’s quick thinking, called him a “hero” but also credited God for being the one who “stopped and blocked this weapon.”
The pair were then able to keep Polite under control until police arrived and he was taken into custody.
“This guy was just dealing with spirits, he said, and he came in and wanted to shoot someone,” the pastor said.
He said Polite, who eventually apologized to Germany, is clearly dealing with a form of mental illness.
The pastor said he has forgiven his near-murderer, but has not yet personally processed the day’s events.
“What hurts me the most and makes me cry is that I couldn’t see my daughter break down,” she said.
Bernard Polite, 26, now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault and attempted murder for attempting to fire a gun at the pastor of a Pennsylvania church on Sunday.
Police say they found a man, identified as Derek Polite (pictured), shot to death at Bernard Polite’s residence.
Shocked parishioners appear stunned after an attempted shooting at a Pennsylvania service on Sunday.
The spiritual leader’s 14-year-old son was sitting between the pews during the service that took a dark turn.
“I still had to be strong, because I had to be strong for her, but I couldn’t stand it, and seeing her is the part that’s hard for me to stomach,” Germany added.
Before the shooting, Germany said Polite gave him a smile and went in and out of the service several times.
He hopes to use the shocking incident to emphasize the reality and severity of mental illness in his own community and beyond.
The young man now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault and attempted murder.
He was denied bail and will face a preliminary hearing on the charges next week.
Authorities are also investigating after a man was found shot to death inside the home where Polite resides.
Police say they found a man, identified as Derek Polite, 56, shot to death.
