PERMISSION IS GIVEN BY JIM WAGNER TO COPY & DISTRIBUTE THIS REPORT FOR NON COMMERCIAL USE ONLY
ST. LOUISE CATHOLIC CHURCH VANDALISM & ASSAULT
BASED ON OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE (OSINT) AS OF July 5, 2022 A.D. • COMPILED & ANALYZED BY JIM WAGNER
DATE & TIME: June 28, 2022, at 9:30 a.m.
LOCATION: Bellevue, Washington State. TYPE OF ATTACK: Vandalism to several building and assault & battery to church employee.
SUSPECT: 31-year-old man (police have declined to release his name), who was white, slim build, long black hair, and wearing a white surgical mask.
MOTIVE: Hate crime.
WEAPONS USED: Spray-paint. Church staff member's face and ear painted.
DAMAGE: A shattered glass door caused by a rock, a kicked in second glass door of a parish hall, spray-paint damage to a statue, and anti-Christian graffiti in a dozen places throughout the church’s campus. When being questioned by the police the suspect damaged a police car by smashing it with a backpack full of spray paint cans. Total estimated damage is $10,000 The suspect had injured himself (minor) when smashing one of the doors. SITUATION: The suspect, who is a resident of the city, vandalized the St. Louise Catholic Church, attacked a church employee, and struck a police car with a backpack full of spray paint cans. RED ACTION: The suspect threw a rock, three times, at the glass door of a pastoral office at the St. Louise Catholic Church. When he could not get inside the door, he started yelling to whoever was inside the building, and gave the middle finger. The suspect then shattered the glass at another building by punching it and kicking it four times. He then moved on and spray painted on other buildings in a dozen places. The black paint graffiti included statements such as “religion of hate,” “liar,” “groomers rapists,” “the church is child abuse,” and “go to your fake Hell.”
A woman was praying in the chapel when she heard the commotion outside. When she went to see what was going on she saw the suspect, wearing a surgical mask, smashing the glass of one of the doors. When the suspect saw her in the hallway, he started screaming profanities at her. Terrified, she immediately ran back inside the chapel and locked the door behind her. She then hid behind the piano believing that he was going to get into the building. She got onto her cell phone and called Father Gary Zender for help.
When the Parish administrator, Jonathan Taasan, approached the suspect, the suspect attacked him by spray painted his right cheek, and “quite a bit” into his ear.
A surveillance captured some of the crimes being committed. You can view the video that was released by the Catholic News Agency: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251679/vandalism-washington-catholic-church-windows-smashed
BLUE ACTION: A church employee (Parish administrator Jonathan Taasan), investigating the vandalism, was attacked by the suspect who threw a rock at him and spray-painted his face. When the police arrived on scene the suspect surrendered to them, but not before hitting a police car with his pink backpack filled with spray-paint cans. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries that he received breaking one of the glass doors, and then transported to jail after being medically released. Bellevue police announced that they are increasing their patrols in that area, and for other local churches as well.
JIM WAGNER’S COMMENTARY: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has reported 143 incidents of vandalism to Catholic sites in the United States in the past two years. However, we know that attacks are increasing against every denomination in the United States, which means that every church and Christian event is a potential target. We know many of the details of this crime against St. Louise Catholic Church because a surveillance camera captured them. Learning from this incident, every church should be equipped with one or more surveillance cameras, and a basic system is very inexpensive. Based upon the news reports that I have read on this incident, there was not a Video Camera Operations person (someone trained in security operations) operating the system at the time of the occurance. Having a trained church security officer operating the system in real time is an advantage to get the police rolling to the scene immediately, and to give them accurate descriptive and tactical information. Many churches have surveillance cameras, but not people manning them, nor the proper security training for them. Instead, a staff member went out to investigate the the situation who ended up having had a rock thrown at him and getting spray-painted on his face and ear. Church staff members not trained in security operations should not be approaching hostile individuals.
Although the parish was attacked with a rock, Father Gary Zender stated, “Christ is a rock for us.” He stated, “I think it comes up as a bit of a shock that it would happen here. I think there's the reality that, you know, things have changed,” and continued, “We're not quite as safe as we once thought we were and we have to take more precautions." His statement contain two truths. First, Christ is indeed our Rock. Second, Father Zender acknowledges that "things have changed," and that his church must "take more precautions." As such, it took an incident to wake this Catholic church up when it comes to the need for security, and for most churches it usually does. Unfortunately, most churches have the typical mentality "it won't happen to us." Yes, they lock their doors at night before leaving, or might have a security plan sitting on a shelf somewhere, but lack trained people who can respond to a threat. Father Zender also stated, “A lot of people are hurting, including the man who did this. So just on the human level, I connect with that struggle.” First of all, our forgiveness of people is on a spiritual level, not a physical (human) level. My question is, "How can Father Zender 'connect with that struggle?'" Damaging God's property and trying to harm God's people is nothing we can "connect" to, for those actions were of the flesh influenced by the kingdom of darkness. We understand it happens, but we don't identify with it. Yes, we are to love and forgive our enemies, but when it comes to breaking the law, the law breakers must pay the consequences, or else we will get more of the lawlessness that we are aleady experiencing. At my church our policy is that any person who deliberately damages God's property or harms God's people is to be prosecuted, using God's instrument - the government. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. Romans 13:1-5 As Christians we are not to let those who practice evil harm us or the places we meet at. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. Nehemiah 4:17-18
LOCATION: Bellevue, Washington State. TYPE OF ATTACK: Vandalism to several building and assault & battery to church employee.
SUSPECT: 31-year-old man (police have declined to release his name), who was white, slim build, long black hair, and wearing a white surgical mask.
MOTIVE: Hate crime.
WEAPONS USED: Spray-paint. Church staff member's face and ear painted.
DAMAGE: A shattered glass door caused by a rock, a kicked in second glass door of a parish hall, spray-paint damage to a statue, and anti-Christian graffiti in a dozen places throughout the church’s campus. When being questioned by the police the suspect damaged a police car by smashing it with a backpack full of spray paint cans. Total estimated damage is $10,000 The suspect had injured himself (minor) when smashing one of the doors. SITUATION: The suspect, who is a resident of the city, vandalized the St. Louise Catholic Church, attacked a church employee, and struck a police car with a backpack full of spray paint cans. RED ACTION: The suspect threw a rock, three times, at the glass door of a pastoral office at the St. Louise Catholic Church. When he could not get inside the door, he started yelling to whoever was inside the building, and gave the middle finger. The suspect then shattered the glass at another building by punching it and kicking it four times. He then moved on and spray painted on other buildings in a dozen places. The black paint graffiti included statements such as “religion of hate,” “liar,” “groomers rapists,” “the church is child abuse,” and “go to your fake Hell.”
A woman was praying in the chapel when she heard the commotion outside. When she went to see what was going on she saw the suspect, wearing a surgical mask, smashing the glass of one of the doors. When the suspect saw her in the hallway, he started screaming profanities at her. Terrified, she immediately ran back inside the chapel and locked the door behind her. She then hid behind the piano believing that he was going to get into the building. She got onto her cell phone and called Father Gary Zender for help.
When the Parish administrator, Jonathan Taasan, approached the suspect, the suspect attacked him by spray painted his right cheek, and “quite a bit” into his ear.
A surveillance captured some of the crimes being committed. You can view the video that was released by the Catholic News Agency: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251679/vandalism-washington-catholic-church-windows-smashed
BLUE ACTION: A church employee (Parish administrator Jonathan Taasan), investigating the vandalism, was attacked by the suspect who threw a rock at him and spray-painted his face. When the police arrived on scene the suspect surrendered to them, but not before hitting a police car with his pink backpack filled with spray-paint cans. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries that he received breaking one of the glass doors, and then transported to jail after being medically released. Bellevue police announced that they are increasing their patrols in that area, and for other local churches as well.
JIM WAGNER’S COMMENTARY: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has reported 143 incidents of vandalism to Catholic sites in the United States in the past two years. However, we know that attacks are increasing against every denomination in the United States, which means that every church and Christian event is a potential target. We know many of the details of this crime against St. Louise Catholic Church because a surveillance camera captured them. Learning from this incident, every church should be equipped with one or more surveillance cameras, and a basic system is very inexpensive. Based upon the news reports that I have read on this incident, there was not a Video Camera Operations person (someone trained in security operations) operating the system at the time of the occurance. Having a trained church security officer operating the system in real time is an advantage to get the police rolling to the scene immediately, and to give them accurate descriptive and tactical information. Many churches have surveillance cameras, but not people manning them, nor the proper security training for them. Instead, a staff member went out to investigate the the situation who ended up having had a rock thrown at him and getting spray-painted on his face and ear. Church staff members not trained in security operations should not be approaching hostile individuals.
Although the parish was attacked with a rock, Father Gary Zender stated, “Christ is a rock for us.” He stated, “I think it comes up as a bit of a shock that it would happen here. I think there's the reality that, you know, things have changed,” and continued, “We're not quite as safe as we once thought we were and we have to take more precautions." His statement contain two truths. First, Christ is indeed our Rock. Second, Father Zender acknowledges that "things have changed," and that his church must "take more precautions." As such, it took an incident to wake this Catholic church up when it comes to the need for security, and for most churches it usually does. Unfortunately, most churches have the typical mentality "it won't happen to us." Yes, they lock their doors at night before leaving, or might have a security plan sitting on a shelf somewhere, but lack trained people who can respond to a threat. Father Zender also stated, “A lot of people are hurting, including the man who did this. So just on the human level, I connect with that struggle.” First of all, our forgiveness of people is on a spiritual level, not a physical (human) level. My question is, "How can Father Zender 'connect with that struggle?'" Damaging God's property and trying to harm God's people is nothing we can "connect" to, for those actions were of the flesh influenced by the kingdom of darkness. We understand it happens, but we don't identify with it. Yes, we are to love and forgive our enemies, but when it comes to breaking the law, the law breakers must pay the consequences, or else we will get more of the lawlessness that we are aleady experiencing. At my church our policy is that any person who deliberately damages God's property or harms God's people is to be prosecuted, using God's instrument - the government. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. Romans 13:1-5 As Christians we are not to let those who practice evil harm us or the places we meet at. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. Nehemiah 4:17-18