A church service in Pennsylvania came to a terrifying halt on Sunday when authorities say a man pulled a gun on the pastor and allegedly attempted to shoot him during his sermon.
The incident happened at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, shortly after 1:00 p.m. ET, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
The suspected gunman, who police identified as 26-year-old Bernard Junior Polite, entered the church and allegedly attempted to shoot the pastor, Glenn Germany, as he was delivering his sermon on a live stream, according to police.
The suspect’s firearm failed to discharge and a congregation member and the pastor were able to subdue and disarm him before anyone was harmed, police said.
“I’m thankful to God that I’m still here because he definitely pulled the trigger,” Germany told ABC News affiliate WTAE.
Describing the alarming encounter, Germany told the outlet Polite smiled at him before the attempted attack.
“I started to begin to preach, and all of a sudden, from my left-hand side, I saw him move from the back to the front of the church, and he set up in the front corner of the church and smiled at me,” Germany said.
“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.
The pastor went on to praise the congregation member who sprang into action to subdue Polite, saying, “He could have lost his life in that struggle, but he sacrificed himself for everyone, and he’s the hero.”
The suspect was held at the church until Pennsylvania State Police troopers arrived at the scene and arrested him.
Police said charges have been filed. Information on Polite’s arraignment and a legal representative were not immediately available.
