Alabama Man Takes Over Church Pulpit, Pulls Out Gun
An Alabama man who allegedly took over a church pulpit during a worship service Sunday, July 8, tried to pull out a gun before being tackled by congregation members, according to AP. No shots were fired.
The irate man reportedly talked about his pending divorce while in control of the pulpit at O’Neal Church of Christ in Athens, Alabama, reports say.
The suspect, 34-year-old Thomas Zebulun Lewter, has been charged with making a terroristic threat at the church, says Limestone County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Stephen Young.
“During the service, he approached the pulpit and announced that he was sorry he was going to have to do what he had to do,” says wife Kathryn Lewter, who filed for divorce last month. Since the incident, she has petitioned the court for protection from abuse.
Kathryn Lewter claims her husband had been on antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants and had been “acting erratically” and threatening her family, according to The News Courier.
Thomas Lewter has been taken to a hospital for evaluation, reports AP.
