The Devil Appears In Windsor During Mass

'Very strong' man tasered during attack on deacon

BY TREVOR WILHELM, THE WINDSOR STAR AUGUST 24, 2012


St. Alphonsus Church deacon Gerard Charette was attacked Wednesday while giving mass.
Photograph by: Dax Melmer, The Windsor Star , The Windsor Star


Tactical officers had to taser a man with seemingly superhuman strength who yelled and chanted as he allegedly assaulted a deacon during a Catholic Church service.

"They had to restrain him, unfortunately, because he was very, very strong," deacon Gerard Charette of St. Alphonsus church, said Thursday.

"He was very uncontrollable, so he could have really hurt someone.

"So they made sure that didn't happen. I think things worked out OK. He's getting treatment, I think."

Windsor police said charges are pending against the 46-year-old Windsor man.

It's unknown if he was under the influence of drugs or other substances.

A priest had given the man communion near the end of noon mass at the downtown church.

"Then he became quite vocal, yelling and weeping, fell to the ground, rigid," said Charette. "We tried to escort him to the back. Again he fell down. He kind of tore my vestment a little bit."

Police were called at 12: 47 p.m. Wednesday to St. Alphonsus church at 85 Park St. E. The report was for a man causing a disruption.

Two officers arrived minutes later to see parishioners pouring out of the church. The adults looked distraught. Children were crying. Someone told police to "get inside quick."

The officers ran in and found a man at the front of the church near the altar. With his back to police, he was sweating profusely and chanting loudly in an "intimidating voice," police said.

He had his arms wrapped around the deacon.

"He had me in a lock, but I don't know that he had any intention to harm me," said Charette. "He was in his own world.

"He was yelling and weeping. In the heat of the moment, I didn't catch exactly what he was saying."

He wouldn't let go. "It's very concerning because the behaviour that was described was aggressive, disruptive and confrontational," said Sgt. Matthew D'Asti. "Police indicated when they arrived there was a sense of concern or urgency on the face of the deacon."

D'Asti said the deacon signalled to police that he needed help. Police ordered the man to let go. He ignored them. One of the officers grabbed the man.

"The guy released his grasp on the deacon, then the fight was on," said D'Asti.

There was a fierce struggle. Several other officers were called in.

"It took several officers to control the individual," said D'Asti. "He was fighting back with what one officer described as enormous strength. He was sweating profusely. He was chanting some type of chant that wasn't very coherent."

Not even the arrival of the Emergency Services Unit was enough to make the man give in.

"When the tac team members arrived, they warned him, and he ignored their commands as well," said D'Asti. "They felt it necessary to deploy the Taser, which was effective immediately."

Police put him in handcuffs but that wasn't the end of the fight.

"As soon as he started to recover, again he began struggling while in handcuffs and was trying to actively escape, and was chanting more chants," said D'Asti.

Police eventually got him under control and escorted him to the hospital for assessment.

"We're grateful no one in the congregation was harmed," said Charette. "I don't think they were in serious jeopardy, although you can't tell that in the heat of the moment."

Charette said he talked to the man's regular pastor from another church on Thursday to see what else they can do for him.

"I knew things would work out all right," said Charette. "We have a good congregation, great pastor and I just had confidence that the Lord would make everything work out OK."

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