All hell broke loose yesterday at the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in New Kingston, where Brazilian pastor Alex Silva, who was on the pulpit, was attacked and chopped by a man.

"It happened shortly after I called the members to the altar for a special prayer. I was praying and my eyes were closed when he attacked me," Pastor Silva told The Gleaner yesterday.

The pastor was slapped with a machete, which inflicted a wound to his left ear. He was taken to hospital where he got several stitches. During the attack, members of the congregation screamed and ran for their lives.

Eyewitnesses said the man attempted to behead the pastor.

The pastor ran from the Trinidad Terrace church to the nearby New Kingston police post. His attacker was later apprehended by the police, who took him to the police station.

Not normal

It is alleged that while at the police station, the accused pulled a knife and attacked a police sergeant, who in turn shot him.

"We do not know this man. He has been coming to the church for several weeks now. He does not behave like a normal person," said Pastor Silva.

In the meantime, Granville Gause, assistant commissioner of police, reported that his team of investigators had begun a probe of the shooting incident.

"They are out there collecting statements and when they are finished, they will be going to the hospital to speak with the accused and also the pastor," said ACP Gause.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God was formed in 1977 in Brazil. It has since spread to more than 100 countries. According to some reports, the church has a global membership of six million. The church has been in Jamaica since the early 1990s. It is one of the fastest-growing church groups in Jamaica.