BROOKLYN, New York (Washington Insider Magazine) – After armed intruders broke into the service and stole over $400,000 worth of jewelry, a Brooklyn bishop and his wife were robbed during a live sermon on Sunday, according to New York City police.
When 3 attackers entered the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries church in Canarsie at about 11:15 a.m., Bishop Lamor Whitehead was midway through his sermon, according to the NYPD.
The 44-year-old bishop with his wife, 38, were attacked by armed men who brandished weapons and demanded their possessions, according to the police.
Whitehead can be heard responding “alright, alright” before falling down on the ground with his hands and knees in a clip that local media sources have posted online and that purports to depict the event. The footage was obtained from a livestream that has since been pulled down, though.
Later, NBC NEWS reports, a masked suspect can be seen approaching the bishop with what looks to be a gun aimed at his back before making off with the bishop’s valuables.
The robbers, according to the police, are thought to have stolen a total of $400 000 worth of jewels before leaving the location on foot and hopping into a white Mercedes Benz. According to authorities, they were last spotted moving eastward along Avenue D.
Lamor said in a video he uploaded to Instagram that he attempted to pursue the culprits after they fled.
In response to the occurrence, which he claimed had left several in his congregation “traumatized,” he expressed the hope that they would come forward.
The bishop reportedly reacted angrily to remarks and press reports that characterized him as “flashy” for wearing jewelry during his live streamed services.
No physical injuries were recorded in relation to the robbery, according to the police. They said that an inquiry was still continuing.
In May, Whitehead gained attention when he claimed to be in the process of negotiating Andrew Abdullah’s surrender. Abdullah, 25, is a suspect in the shooting death of Goldman Sachs staffer Daniel Enriquez, who was killed while on a Manhattan-bound Q train.
However, Abdullah was finally detained separately by police.
