Bishop Stabbed Arrest Made
The quiet suburb of Wakeley in Sydney's west was shaken on Monday evening when a 15-year-old boy allegedly stabbed a bishop in the middle of a church sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church.
The incident was captured on video, showing the boy, dressed in a dark hoodie, approach the altar and viciously attack Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel while he was preaching to his congregation. The attack also injured other members of the church, including Father Isaac Royel. The incident sparked unrest outside the church as crowds gathered in protest, throwing objects and chanting for the alleged attacker to be brought out.
Footage of the aftermath of the attack has emerged, showing the alleged attacker being pinned down by a group of people, including a police officer. The boy appears to smile and mock his captors, causing one man to react by lightly slapping him and calling him an "idiot".
The tense situation outside the church continued for hours, as hundreds of police officers, including riot squad cops, were called to the scene. Despite efforts by the authorities to diffuse the situation, bottles and bricks were thrown at police vehicles and a police helicopter was deployed to control the crowd.
According to Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland, a decision was made to keep the boy in the church for his own safety when a large crowd had gathered outside. The church asked for prayers for Bishop Emmanuel and Father Isaac, who are both in stable condition in hospital, as well as for the alleged attacker.
The church also urged anyone at the premises to leave peacefully, in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, NSW Ambulance reported that four people were injured and taken to Liverpool Hospital, which had to be placed on lockdown as angry crowds swarmed the facility.
The alleged attacker suffered a hand injury and is now in an undisclosed location. Outside the church, the situation was chaotic, with officers outnumbered and pelted with objects by the angry crowd. Video footage on social media showed some members of the crowd using a ladder to smash a window of the church, and police eventually had to resort to deploying tear gas in order to disperse the group. The police presence in the area will be increased, with patrols on mosques and other places of worship, as tensions remain high.
This incident comes just two days after six people were killed in Westfield Bondi Junction by a knifeman. Joel Cauchi, 40, stabbed five women and a male security guard to death and injured several others before being fatally shot by police. According to a spokesperson for NSW police, Bishop Emmanuel suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and a male was arrested and is assisting with inquiries.
The incident has garnered attention on social media, as Bishop Emmanuel has a large following of over 17,000 on Facebook. The church also has a significant online presence, with almost 200,000 subscribers on YouTube. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to NSW Ambulance for comment on the incident.