Man filming Pennsylvania church service tackles person who pointed gun at pastor
By Yazmin Rodriguez
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NORTH BRADDOCK, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — It was a normal Sunday morning service for Pastor Glenn Germany. Germany said his church was praising worship longer than normal and having a great time when the unthinkable happened.
“All of a sudden, I just seen a gun pointing right at me and at that point all I could try to do is run for cover,” Germany said.
Authorities identified that gunman as 26-year-old Bernard Polite. The gun he was holding jammed and no shots were fired.
Clarence McCallister, who was filming the service, leapt from his seat, over a banister and tackled Polite.
“That was just God, because the possibility — one thing about a bullet, a bullet gonna find some meat, and I don’t care if you’re aiming at a target or not, a bullet gonna find some meat,” McCallister said.
He told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 he was doing his job, running the camera at the time.
“All I could see was somebody walked up on the pulpit and after they got up on the pulpit, they raised the gun up,” McCallister said. “Once they raised the gun up, I jumped up, you know, from behind. Got him from behind, struggled him down to the ground.”
McCallister says he didn’t think twice to run and tackle Polite, saying Pastor Germany would have made the same decision.
McCallister was even able to wrestle the gun away from the suspect, while Germany, and other church goers held him down until police arrived. Germany was able to briefly speak to Polite. He asked him why.
“I asked him, you know, just as calm as me and you are talking now — I said ‘What made you do it? What were you thinking?’ and he said, ‘I don’t know,'” Germany said.
Both Germany and McCallister are grateful for the outcome at the church.
“I forgive him for what he did. I just mainly thank God that, you know what I mean, that nobody got hurt,” McCallister said.
According to the criminal complaint, Polite confessed to police that he tried to shoot Germany because, “God told him to do it,” and that he wanted to go to jail to clear his mind.
On Sunday evening, a body was found in Polite’s home on the 500 block of Stokes Avenue.
Police said a man was found shot to death inside.
Early Monday morning, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the man found shot to death in that home as Derek Polite, 56, of North Braddock.
So far, no charges have been filed in connection with the body that was found, and Allegheny County police are investigating that incident.
Meanwhile, Bernard Polite was arraigned early Monday morning on charges connected to the incident in the church, including attempted homicide.
He was being held in the Allegheny County Jail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for later this month.
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