Pastor kept church service going as nearby Fort Worth police fired tear gas into home

Pastor J.E. Prentice looked a bit worried Sunday morning as he stood on the driveway of his church, East Maddox Baptist Church.

After all, it was 9 a.m. and a SWAT team was just across the street with their armored truck, weapons and drone focused on a home in the 1400 block of E. Maddox Ave.

A crime scene tape was even on the church’s driveway so members of his church would not be parking in the front of his small church.

“Sunday school is at 9:45 a.m.,” Prentice said as he looked his cell phone Sunday morning. “We take a break at 10:45 a.m. and Sunday service is at 11 a.m.”

But as the standoff continued and more tear gas was fired into the home, Prentice got the word that he could enter his church and the praying began.

“We’re going to have service one way or another,” the 67-year-old pastor said. “They’ll (church members) just park in the back and we’ll have our service.”

Church service at East Maddox Baptist Church went on as scheduled.

At the same time, SWAT team members were held at bay for more than five hours Sunday before rushing into the home and arrested a suspect. No serious injuries were reported.

Initially, police responded to a domestic disturbance shortly after 6 a.m. at a home on E. Maddox Avenue. Officers reported a barricaded person was inside with possible weapons.

SWAT team members arrived a short time later.

Prentice arrived at his church after SWAT team members had been at the scene for more than two hours.

“This is a fairly nice neighborhood,” Prentice said. “This makes me wonder why all of this was going on.”

Prentice said he had been at the small church since 2003, church membership was at 50 to 75.

Church members did park at the back of the church, and several members were unaware of the standoff. They were there to pray and that’s what Prentice wanted.

“It’s seldom that you hear anything like this,” the pastor said referring to the standoff. “It’s amazing.”