Assault during Communion: police, pipe bomb, Molotov cocktail follow

Communion

An assault during Communion at a San Francisco Catholic church on Sunday soon escalated into bomb-throwing and a police pursuit.

It all began with a communicant walking out without consuming the Host.

Things escalated quickly.

It led to confrontation, a punch in the face, a police pursuit and reports of the offender throwing a pipe bomb and a Molotov cocktail from his car during the pursuit.

Archdiocesan spokesman Peter Marlow has confirmed an assault occurred during Communion on Sunday.

“It was a person who went up to receive Communion at the 5pm Mass and then didn’t consume the consecrated Host” Marlow said.

“There was a visiting person [also in attendance] who stood up and confronted the person and told him ‘You can’t leave the church without consuming the Host’” Marlow said.

“And the guy went off and punched him and ran out of the church.

“The gentleman who got punched, I was told, was not in serious condition. He just took a punch and was treated by the paramedics.”

He did not comment on what happened to the Communion Host.

Arrest made

A San Francisco City Supervisor reported that police had said the man had “set off a pipe bomb” during the pursuit incident.

He then ignited a “Molotov cocktail” which city authorities said exploded on a street.

The police pursuit ended in another county where the suspect was arrested.

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