The incident, which was captured on camera, took place at the Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock on Sunday afternoon.
The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Bernard Polite, allegedly attempted to shoot Pastor Glenn Germany during the service. A livestream of the incident showed the pastor seeking cover as Polite wielded the weapon.
May 07, 2024
“I’m thankful to God that I’m still here because he definitely pulled the trigger,” Germany told WTAE. He recounted how he had just begun his sermon when he noticed Polite moving from the back to the front of the church. “All of a sudden, I just saw a gun pointing right at me. And at that point, all I could try to do is run for cover,” he said.
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In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the church’s deacon, Clarence McCallister, was filmed tackling Polite. Together with Pastor Germany, they disarmed the suspect and held him until the police arrived.
Germany, whose 14-year-old daughter was present in the church at the time, revealed that Polite later confessed to him that he had been seeing “spirits” in his mind, compelling him to open fire. “This guy was just dealing with spirits, he said, and he came in and wanted to shoot somebody,” Germany said. “He said, ‘You ducked a taco today,’ that’s what he told me, and I guess that’s slang for ‘You ducked a bullet.’”
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In a separate interview on NBC’s “Today,” the pastor shared that Polite had apologized to him. “I told him, ‘I forgive you and want you to know I love you,’” Germany said.
Polite is now facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault and attempted homicide.
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