Police: Florida Man Hits Priest Then Barricades Himself In Church

MELBOURNE (CBSMiami/AP) — Police arrested a Florida man who allegedly struck a priest before barricading himself inside a church on Sunday.

News outlets say that police officers in Melbourne, Florida, arrived to the Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church early Sunday in response to an incident involving church officials and a man.

Police say the man hit one of the priests and was seen with a firearm when officers arrived at the scene. Members of the church were able to escape, but the man barricaded himself near the front door of the church and threatened to kill himself, reports said.

SWAT members were at the scene negotiating with the man, who was finally arrested more than four hours later. Detectives are continuing to investigate to determine what charges he will face.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)