Man Shown On Video Trying To Shoot Pastor In Church Is Charged With Murdering Cousin

Source: Allegheny County Jail / Allegheny County Jail

The Black man who pulled a gun on a pastor during church service on Sunday has been charged with homicide after police found the body of his cousin shot to death in his home.

According to 6 ABC, Bernard Junior Polite was arrested on Sunday after trying to shoot Rev. Glenn Germany while the pastor was giving a sermon at the Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock. 

In a video of the incident, which was livestreamed on the church’s website, Polite can be seen pointing his gun directly at the pastor. Fortunately, Polite’s gun jams and he’s quickly tackled and subdued by a church deacon. Miraculously, no one was injured. 

He confessed that he tried to shoot Germany because, “God told him to do it,” and that he thought jail would clear his mind.

Man tries to shoot pastor but gun miraculously jams, God is so great. pic.twitter.com/ZTrgnvjBjU

— Keimos (@keimos_) May 7, 2024

After he was arrested, Police began investigating Polite and what they found shocked authorities. 

According to 6 ABC, police found the body of 56-year-old Derek Polite fatally shot in Bernard Polite’s home. Police then charged Polite with homicide for shooting and killing his cousin.

Witness reports say they saw Polite “pacing outside the residence” before the church shooting and another neighbor “reported hearing a noise which could have been a gunshot.”

During an interview with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, Pastor Glenn Germany reflected on the terrifying moment of having a gun pointed in your face while trying to preach. 

“I’m thankful to God that I’m still here because he definitely pulled the trigger,” Germany replied.

Germany also told News 4 that he didn’t know the gunmen and the incident escalated so quickly. 

“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.”

Germany was grateful and thanked the man who tackled Polite before he could try to shoot the pastor again. 

“He could have lost his life in that struggle,” Germany said of the man who jumped in. “But he sacrificed himself for everyone, and he’s the hero.”

Another neighbor told the publication that she was shocked because she never witnessed anything unusual happen in the neighborhood.

“Nothing bad has ever happened in that home. There were no domestic violence, no fights, no argument that we know of that we could ever have heard,” neighbor Guy Diperna told 6 ABC.

Bernard Polite is being held in jail ahead of his arraignment date. 

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