Pastor Accused of Ordering Attacks on Gay Son Outside of Tenn. Church
A gay couple in Tennessee attempting to attend church services was beaten by church members who were obeying the pastor's orders, the couple claims. Adding insult to injury, the pastor is also the father of one of the gay men.
According to WBBJ-TV, Jerry Pittman, Jr. and Dustin Lee wanted to attend serives at Graceland Fellowship Church in Fruitland, Tenn. Sept. 25, but right after they parked their car in the church parking lot, they were given the rudest of welcomes.
"I went over to take the keys out of the ignition and all the sudden I hear someone say 'sick'em,' " said Pittman. "My uncle and two other deacons came over to the car per my dad's request. My uncle smashed me in the door as the other deacon knocked my boyfriend back so he couldn't help me, punching him in his face and his chest. The other deacon came and hit me through my car window in my back," he added.
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According to Pittman, no one at the church offered any assistance and one of the deacons yelled derogatory slurs at the two gay men.
Once officers arrived, they did not stop the deacons from yelling the slurs, Pittman alleges, and that the officers never intervened to stop the deacons from yelling the slurs.
"If I was on the scene I would not have allowed that. The deputy should not have allowed it if he did," said Gibson County Sheriff Chuck Arnold.
Pittman also said the officers only talked to the pastor about the incident and would not allow the couple to make a statement or press charges.
"I haven't talk to him but that would be out of character for my deputy to say unless they were causing a problem themselves," said Sheriff Arnold.
A lawyer for the pastor told WBBJ that some of the hostility that erupted that day might have stemmed from a divorce that the pastor and his wife are currently going through.
Pittman and Lee were eventually able to press charges against the pastor.
However, a few days later, WBBJ also reported that the pastor was arrested for stealing hundreds of pounds of copper, worth over $1,000 from his estranged wife's local business.
"Our investigation into the incident that was reported showed that he and another gentleman did scrap copper at a scrap yard here in Trenton," Lt. James Wilson said.
"It was quite a bit that they scrapped," he added.
With assault and theft charges pending, the pastor's next court date is scheduled for October 28.
