Shocking moment Pennsylvania man pulls a gun on pastor in front of horrified congregation – but an ‘act of God’ stops him from pulling the trigger
- A pastor’s life was spared Sunday when a gun fired directly at him failed to fire
- The perpetrator, a man struggling with a mental illness, was quickly dealt with by the deacon
A church service in Pennsylvania almost took a fatal turn this week when a man pointed a gun at a sermon in the middle of his sermon.
Bernard Polite, 26, of Braddock, Pennsylvania, was charged after he entered church Sunday and tried to shoot Pastor Glenn Germany as he gave his weekly sermon at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church.
The attempted shooting happened just after 1pm on Sunday and was captured on video and posted online for all to see the horrific moment.
Bernard Polite, 26, of Braddock, Pennsylvania, was charged after he entered the church Sunday and tried to shoot Pastor Glenn Germany as he gave his weekly sermon at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church
The video shows the moment Germany finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun being fired at him by a disheveled-looking man.
Miraculously, no bullet came out and the shooter was immediately tackled by the church’s deacon Clarence McCallister, who jumped in front of the camera and tackled the perpetrator to the ground.
McCallister said CBS News that he “saw something that needed to be done, and I jumped up and took care of my business.”
Germany, whose life was likely saved by McCallister’s quick thinking, called him a “hero” but also credited God as the one who “stopped and blocked this weapon.”
The pair were then able to control Polite until police arrived and he was taken into custody.
“This guy was just dealing with ghosts, he said, and he came in and wanted to shoot someone,” the pastor said.
He said Polite, who eventually apologized to Germany, was clearly dealing with some form of mental illness.
The pastor said he has forgiven his near-killer, but he has not yet personally processed the events of that day.
“The thing that hurts me the most and brings tears to my eyes is because I couldn’t see my daughter break down,” he said.
Bernard Polite, 26, now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault and attempted murder, for trying to fire a gun at the pastor of a Pennsylvania church on Sunday.
Shocked churchgoers look stunned after an attempted shooting at a service in Pennsylvania on Sunday
The spiritual leader’s 14-year-old sat between the pews during the service, which took a dark turn.
“I still had to be strong, because I had to be strong for her, but I couldn’t bear it, and just seeing her is the part that’s hard for me to digest,” Germany added.
Before the shooting, Germany said Polite gave him a grin and walked in and out of the service a number of times.
He hopes to use the shocking incident to highlight the reality and seriousness of mental illness in their own community and beyond.
The young man is now facing 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 in the home where Polite lives, less than a half mile from the church.
Police say they found a man, identified as 56-year-old Derek Polite, shot to death.