Disturbing new details have emerged about a violent riot that broke out outside a church after the bishop was allegedly stabbed multiple times by a teenage boy.
Up to 2,000 angry locals gathered outside Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, south-west Sydney, from about 7pm on Monday after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly attacked.
The sermon was being streamed live when a 16-year-old allegedly confronted the bishop and stabbed him.
Hundreds of locals were alerted to the incident by social media and showed up because they “wanted blood” as an out-of-control riot raged around the church for hours.
Police then descended on the church and used pepper spray on some of the attendees, causing people to vomit and struggle to see.
A surviving friend from church, Dominic Cammareri, said he was involved in the violence and was pepper-sprayed from a distance.
“People were throwing up from the pepper spray and running into people’s houses to get water,” he said.
Disturbing new details have emerged about a violent riot that broke out outside a church after the bishop was allegedly stabbed multiple times by a teenage boy.
Up to 2,000 angry locals gathered outside Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, south-west Sydney, after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly attacked
Police and local residents’ cars were destroyed in the melee outside the church on Monday evening, with the extent of the damage becoming clear on Tuesday morning.
Dominic Cammareri, (pictured), who lives nearby, said he was involved in the violence and was pepper-sprayed from a distance
He blamed the power of social media for the way things escalated so dramatically.
“Without social media, the police would have arrived before the people rioted and this wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
‘They wanted blood. It was utter chaos.
“My only concern was the bishop’s well-being. He is recovering, but I don’t think he will be released from hospital anytime soon.”
Nearby Welcome Street was covered in broken glass and trash Tuesday morning.
Stones were seen scattered on the ground, while wooden fencing that had been torn off and used as weapons also remained.
Plastic bottles, a vaporizer and strange shoes were also scattered along the road and the nature strip.
A group of neighbors, believed to be members of the church, used brooms and shovels to clear some of the rubble as camera crews lined the usually quiet street.
Nearby Welcome Street was covered in broken glass and trash Tuesday morning
Stones were seen scattered on the ground, while wooden fencing posts that had been torn off and used as weapons also remained
A group of neighbors, believed to be members of the church, used brooms and shovels to clear some of the rubble as camera crews lined the usually quiet street.
Jaklin Bityou was at Christ The Good Shepherd Church with her husband when the horror unfolded.
Her teenage daughter, Mary Anoya, was watching the livestream from home with her aunt and grandmother when she saw Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being stabbed several times, knowing her parents may also be in danger.
Mrs Bityou and her husband were not in the same room as the bishop at the time of the attack, but were nearby in the hall.
Ms Bityou said they were unable to leave until 11pm and her car is still in the church car park being dusted for fingerprints by forensic officers.
“I’m still shaking, it was horrible, all we heard was people screaming,” she said.
“We heard the bishop had been stabbed in the eye.”
Jaklin Bityou (pictured with her teenage daughter Mary Anoya) was at Christ The Good Shepherd Church with her husband when the horror unfolded
Ms Bityou said her car is still in the church car park and is being dusted for fingerprints by forensic officers
The 16-year-old accused of stabbing Bishop Emmanuel had recently been given a good behavior bond for knife crime.
Mrs Bityou and her daughter said the church had a strong sense of community and everyone knew each other.
She said churchgoers had seen the alleged perpetrator wandering past the church before the attack and that he stood out from regular parishioners.
“He knew the service was being live streamed and waited for the camera to turn on before the (alleged) attack took place,” Mary said.
“I was just watching the live stream with my aunt and grandma and they were making the biggest screams.
“It’s terrifying, something you wouldn’t expect.”
Ms Bityou said she was able to contact her family to let them know all was well.
She said while the rioters’ actions were not acceptable, their anger came from a “place of love” for the bishop.
Local resident Lina Davis was among those outraged by the crowd’s response
Jaklin Bityou said that while the rioters’ actions were not acceptable, their anger came from a “place of love” for the bishop.
Jaklin Bityou said the church had a strong sense of community and everyone knew each other.
It comes as the 16-year-old accused of stabbing Bishop Emmanuel was recently given a good behavior bond for knife crime.
The teenager was charged with a number of offenses following an incident at a Sydney train station in November last year, the ABC reported.
The charges include possession of a jackknife, being armed with a weapon with intent to commit a criminal offence, stalking and/or intimidation and recklessly destroying or damaging property.
He was released on bail before appearing in court in January, where the charges were ‘proven’, but dismissed with the good behavior bond.
The outlet reported that there were no supervision orders in place when he allegedly carried out the attack Monday evening.