A bishop in Brooklyn, New York, who has been criticized as being “flashy” for wearing expensive jewelry during his livestreamed protestant church services was recently mugged mid-sermon.
On Sunday, armed attackers hijacked the service, robbed the bishop and his wife, and then fled with about $400,000 worth of jewelry, NBC News reported.
About 11:15 a.m., Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead was in the middle of his sermon at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie when three masked assailants muscled their way in the building, according to NBC News.
The attackers “displayed firearms and demanded property” from the bishop and his wife, police said.
A video, which appears to show the shocking encounter, has been shared by several local media outlets, although the original livestream has seemingly since been removed online.
“Alright, alright,” Whitehead says several times in the footage after the gunmen enter. The bishop then drops to the ground on his hands and knees to surrender.
A masked assailant is also later seen approaching Whitehead and holding what appears to be a firearm before leaving with his jewelry in the footage.
Whitehead later addressed the incident on Instagram, saying it left his congregation “traumatized.”
“The women and children that was in my church, my daughter, she’s traumatized right now. She’s not even talking,” the father of four said.
The bishop — who shared in an Instagram clip that he asked everybody in the church to leave after the assailants burst in — wasn’t sure if the attackers wanted to “shoot the church up or if they were just coming for a robbery.”
“They took all of my wife’s jewelry and took all of my jewelry,” the bishop added, including his wedding band.
The gunmen left the church on foot and then drove off in a white Mercedes-Benz, police said.
No physical injuries were reported.
In an Instagram clip, the bishop shut down comments about him being too “flashy” with his jewelry during his live services.
“It’s not about me being flashy. It’s about me purchasing what I want to purchase,” Whitehead said. “If I worked hard for it, I can purchase what I want to purchase.”
An investigation is underway, according to authorities.
Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost.
