Man arrested after pulling gun on pastor during North Braddock church service

A pastor at a North Braddock church escaped unharmed Sunday after a man pointed a handgun at him and pulled the trigger, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

The gun failed to fire, troopers said.

Pastor Glenn Germany was giving a sermon around 1 p.m. at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church when Bernard J. Polite, 26, of North Braddock walked to the front of the church with the weapon, as seen in the video of the service on Facebook.

Video from inside the church showed Germany duck out of the way while a congregant tackled Polite. Germany and the congregant worked together to wrest the gun away from the suspect.

Polite was held at the Lobinger Avenue church until troopers arrived and took him into custody. Police filed charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment against him. Polite was awaiting arraignment.

Police Lt. Venerando Costa said Polite lived at a North Braddock address in which Allegheny County Police found a dead body on Sunday evening.

County police were called to a home along Stokes Avenue around 8:15 p.m. Sunday for a report of a dead body inside. The body was identified Monday morning by the office of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner as Derek Polite, 56, of North Braddock.

Germany could not be reached by TribLive on Sunday evening, but he told WTAE he had never seen the suspect before. Germany said he watched Polite go in and out of the building and walk from the back to the front of the church, at one point smiling at the pastor and the two made eye contact.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Attempted Homicide, Allegheny County, PA. pic.twitter.com/cuokwQ524h

— Troopers Gagliardi and Barnhart (@PSPTroopBPIO) May 5, 2024

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

He praised the congregant who jumped a wooden banister to take out the gunman.

“He sacrificed himself for everyone, he’s the hero,” Germany said.

As the chaotic scene unfolded in front of them, congregants are heard on the video exclaiming “Jesus, Jesus!” The congregant who tackled the suspect appeared shocked.

“My goodness, I didn’t think it was going to go like that,” he said.

Polite told troopers he heard music coming from the church and planned to go there, shoot the pastor and wait to be arrested and go to jail to clear his mind, adding that “God told him to do it,” according to court papers.