Cops hunt for 12 men following Sydney church riot in Wakeley
Twelve men captured on video outside a church in Sydney’s west are among 50 people police are seeking after a huge riot that left dozens of officers injured.
Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Father Isaac Royel were stabbed during a live-streamed sermon at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley last Monday evening.
A 16-year-old boy has since been charged with a terrorism offense over the stabbings.
Twelve men captured on video outside a church in Sydney’s west are among 50 people police are seeking after a riot that left dozens of officers injured.
Immediately after the attack, a large crowd gathered at the church as people tried to stop the attacker.
Dozens of police officers were injured, their cars were destroyed and some officers and paramedics were forced to take shelter in the place of worship.
Three men have been charged and police are investigating as many as fifty people involved in the violence.
On Monday, police released images of twelve men they want to question about the violent fight.
One man – of white appearance and wearing black jeans cut off at the ankle and a black shirt wrapped around his face – bears a distinctive tattoo of Jesus Christ on his stomach and a tattoo sleeve on his left arm.
Another is said to have a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, with receding dark brown hair and a beard.
He is depicted wearing a black sweater, gray pants, black shoes and a gray shoulder bag.
Chief Inspector Andrew Evans said the 12 men in the images were wanted ‘due to the violent and aggressive nature of their actions’.
“We are doing everything we can to identify these men and are now appealing for public assistance,” he said.
“Someone in the community knows who they are.”
Faith leaders are calling for calm, while police hope high-visibility patrols in the region will quell simmering tensions in the community.
Dozens of officers have been assigned to investigate the riot, which saw some of the crowd try to gain access to the alleged attacker as he was held in the church.
Investigators are gathering evidence, including cell phone and CCTV footage, to identify those involved.
Dani Mansour, from Doonside, was the first person to be charged over the public order incident.
The 19-year-old said he had made a mistake but was ‘p***** off’ to officers.
Mansour is said to have filmed himself kicking two police cars during the riot before uploading the footage to Instagram.