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A man is in custody after pointing a long gun at two women and attempting to enter a predominantly African American church in Ambridge Sunday morning. A search of the suspect's house led police to conclude he was prepared for a standoff with law enforcement.
According to a criminal complaint, police were sent after calls came in just after 9 a.m. that a man was pointing a long gun at two women near the intersection of Duss Avenue and 4th Street. The man was reported to be wearing a camo vest.
A witness told police that the man was attempting to enter the Greater Dominion Church on the corner of 4th Street and Melrose Avenue.
Bishop Kenneth Crumb talked with Pittsburgh's Action News 4. He said the suspect would have been able to get into his packed church if he arrived just one hour later for his Sunday service.
“When you just think about how close we came to having the same kind of horrific situation that we had at the synagogue in Pittsburgh,it's like the Grace of God. Thank God for his grace, for his covering over us, because this could have been a total different way,” Crumb said.
The church is predominantly African American, "raising concern that the male was attempting to enter the church with a long gun to commit a hate crime," according to the complaint.
“There is a whole lot of mass murders going on, there is shootings, particularly in the African American community, people targeting our communities,” Crumb said.
Ambridge police learned from Beaver County Regional police that the suspect was in the 300 block of Merchant Street. He pointed his gun at an officer, who called in backup.
Jeffrey Harris, 38, of Ambridge, was arrested in a business entryway and faces several charges, including aggravated assault and terroristic threats.
Harris had on him a 12-gauge shotgun, 25 shotgun rounds and what was later determined to be crystal meth. He was taken back to Ambridge police headquarters, making "multiple bizarre comments" along the way to officers about a dead brother.
Officers determined that Harris' shotgun had been recently fired.
Police learned that Harris lives in a house in the 300 block of Duss Avenue along with his boyfriend. Neighbors told police that the boyfriend had not been seen in several days.
Entry into the house was difficult, as the porch was smeared with a slippery substance, the complaint said. Police found an empty bottle of a personal lubricant on the porch.
The house "appeared ready for a standoff," the complaint said, including a weapons case with a drilled hole "creating a tactical position from which the occupant would fire at the front door from a protected position."
Police called the Allegheny County bomb squad to the house, where they removed a suspected explosive device. Crystal meth, ammunition and a notebook with a "handwritten script" for an active shooting were found at the house.
Harris' bond was set at $975,000. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 5.
Police did not indicate whether Harris' boyfriend had been located.
As for Crumb, he said his church already has armed security, but they will be adding more safety measures.
“Unfortunately, you can't have service no more without it. It is just that bad as you know yourself, there is no way I could really sleep safely not protecting the people of God,” Crumb said.
Pittsburgh's Action News 4 has reached out to Ambridge police and Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier for more information about this case.
Crumb added he wasn't notified by police about the incident until Sunday evening, hours after Harris was arrested. He said he has serious concerns and will be holding a news conference Wednesday with other faith leaders to discuss this.
