A gunman who pointed a gun at a Pennsylvania pastor during a livestreamed sermon was charged with fatally shooting his cousin hours before the horrifying church saga unfolded.
Bernard Polite, 26, was charged with murder late Tuesday after the body of his cousin Derek Polite, 56, was found in his North Braddock home Sunday night.
Allegheny County Police say relatives went to Derek’s home to check on him after witnessing horrifying footage of Polite allegedly attempting to shoot and kill a pastor at Jesus’ House Church early Sunday morning. , who discovered this frightening fact.
During the ordeal, Polite was seen on a livestream calmly approaching preacher Glenn German and pointing a firearm at him.
“He pulled out a gun. It clicked.” the pastor later told WPXI.. “God interfered with the gun so the bullet didn’t go out.”
Polite was eventually taken into custody after the pastor and church deacon managed to subdue him until police arrived.
Just hours after Polite was taken away, police were alerted to a body at a home less than half a mile from the church.
“After witnessing the report of… [the church] “After the incident, Derek Polite’s family went to his residence in the 500 block of Stokes Avenue to check on him and found him dead inside,” police said in a statement.
“Witness interviews revealed that detectives saw Bernard Polite walking around outside the residence on the morning of May 5th, and then around 10 a.m. a neighbor reported hearing what they believed to be gunshots. I found out what I did.”
Police said bullets found inside the home matched a firearm police seized after the church assault.
Following the incident at the church, the pastor said Mr Polite revealed he had seen a “spirit” in his mind telling him to shoot.
“He said, ‘A spirit was in my heart.’ They got into my heart and said, ‘Shoot the pastor,'” Germany recalled.
“He actually apologized to me. I told him, ‘I forgive you, and I want you to know that I love you,’ but yes, I definitely apologized to him. I have forgiven you.”
Polite is charged with murder in connection with the killing of his cousin, as well as aggravated assault and attempted murder over the church story.
