A man has been sentenced to a prison term of up to 60 years following a harrowing incident last year, in which he pulled a gun on a pastor during a church service in Pennsylvania.

Bernard Polite, 27, pleaded guilty, but mentally ill, to charges of third-degree murder and attempted homicide.

According to CBS Pittsburgh, Polite was charged with the murder of his cousin, Derek Polite, and the attempted homicide of Pastor Glenn Germany of the Dwelling Place Church.

He faces a minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of 60 years in prison as a result of his crimes - 20 years for the attempted shooting, plus 15 to 40 years for murdering his cousin. 

A video that went viral online in 2024 shows Pastor Germany preaching from the pulpit when Polite suddenly walks to the front of the church and points a gun directly at him. The pastor quickly dodges, avoiding what appeared to be an attempted shooting.

WMBS Radio reported that a church deacon intervened, tackling Polite during a brief struggle involving the pastor and the deacon as they fought for control of the weapon. The deacon ultimately disarmed Polite and called for police assistance.

Authorities later discovered the body of Derek Polite, shot to death at the home he reportedly shared with Bernard Polite.

Following the May 2024 incident, members of the community took to social media to praise Pastor Germany’s character and courage. “Pastor Glenn Germany was there with the man after the man almost took his life. God shows us that He is a protector, a provider, a loving God!” wrote Tazz Jones on Facebook. “He shows us how quickly things can happen and how swiftly God can intervene!”