Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
Well-known Brooklyn-based Bishop Lamor Whitehead was robbed at gunpoint during a live-streamed church service on Sunday.
The incident happened at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, Brooklyn at around 11:15 a.m. on July 24, according to NBC News.
The outlet, informed by he New tYork Police Department, detailed that the masked attackers robbed Whitehead and his wife of around $400,000 worth of jewelry.
The police further allege the armed assailants fled the scene on foot before entering a white Mercedes Benz, and were last seen traveling eastbound on Avenue D.
In a video of the robbery circling social media, Bishop Whitehead says, “alright, alright,” before slowly dropping to his hands and knees, lowering himself to the ground when the thieves entered his church.
Bishop Whitehead Explains The Incident In His Own Words
“We were in church, during morning service” Whitehead recalled in a video shared on Instagram on Sunday. “And when I was preaching, I saw three to four armed men come in.”
“When I saw them come into the sanctuary with their guns, I told everybody ‘Get down. Everybody just get down,'” the bishop added. “I didn’t know if they wanted to shoot the church up or if they were just coming for a robbery.”
Whitehead, who unsuccessfully ran for Brooklyn Borough President against winner Antonio Reynoso, said that he knows people will question why he’s such a blinged-out bishop.
“I seen a blogger post ‘Oh the bishop that wears a lot of diamonds was robbed.’ And I know a lot of people are going to say, ‘Oh well why you so flashy?'” Whitehead said. “It’s not about me being flashy. It’s about me purchasing what I want to purchase. It’s my prerogative to purchase what I want to purchase. If I worked hard for it, I can purchase what I want to purchase.”
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