By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

POLICE arrested a man at a church in Grand Bahama on Sunday after the pastor reported a disturbance, an incident that was captured in a viral video.

The short video raised questions about police protocol among observers who were uncertain about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The video shows an officer talking to a man dressed in a robe, saying: “You are an elderly man. I respect my elders. Do not disrespect. Do you understand me?”

“I understand,” the man answered as congregants watched.

Yesterday, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle said: “That male that you see in the video was not a member, neither is he a pastor. He was creating a disturbance in the church.”

Police said the man had been warned to leave the church.

At the end of the video, a woman attempted to kick the disrupter –– not the police, according to ASP Rolle.

Earlier yesterday, Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) president Delton Fernander released a voice note saying the council was trying to ascertain the circumstances. Without more information, he found the arrest “very much out of bounds.”

“We wish to vindicate any party that if it is brought to our attention that this had to be executed, and it is to a point that it had to be done in this way, these facts need to be made known,” he said.

For his part, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe also noted earlier yesterday that while there are definite rules about not affecting arrest within the precinct of Parliament when the House of Assembly is in session, he was uncertain if those rules extend to a church setting.