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Church pastor's little children hug him and cry — 'Bye, Daddy' — as he's arrested again for violating Canadian COVID-19 orders
Image source: YouTube screenshot

Church pastor's little children hug him and cry — 'Bye, Daddy' — as he's arrested again for violating Canadian COVID-19 orders

A church pastor in Canada was arrested again for holding services in violation of Alberta province's pandemic gathering rules, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News reported.

What are the details?

Tim Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church in southeast Calgary was arrested Monday for allegedly violating Section 127 of the Criminal Code by failing to obey a Court of Queen's Bench Order obtained by Alberta Health Services, the network said.

Stephens' little children hugged him and cried as police took him away from his home:

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Soon an officer had Stephens place his hands on the side of a police vehicle while the officer patted down the pastor:

Image source: YouTube screenshot

"Bye, Daddy!" one of his children cried out tearfully.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

As he waved goodbye to his family from a barred window, his kids reached out and held his hand:

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Stephens was arrested last month for similar violations, but CBC reported that charges were withdrawn because the injunction was improperly served.

Calgary police told the network Stephens' second arrest was "for hosting an illegal outdoor gathering that did not comply with current restrictions."

AHS physically closed the Fairview church to prevent access to the building until Stephens could "demonstrate the ability to comply with these restrictions," CBC said.

Under Stage 2 of Alberta's reopening plan, places of worship are required to limit attendance to one-third of their building's maximum fire code occupancy, the network reported.

"For several weeks, AHS has attempted to work collaboratively with leadership at Fairview Baptist Church to address the ongoing public health concerns at the site," police said in a statement to CBC. "It is only when significant risk is identified or continued non-compliance is noted that AHS resorts to enforcement action."

The network added that Stephens was previously fined and ticketed for defying public health regulations by holding over-capacity gatherings and not enforcing mask use.

What happened to Stephens this time?

CBC said Stephens has been released from custody and is set to appear in court June 28.

"We will challenge his arrest and defend against the new 'health' charge," Jay Cameron, a lawyer with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, told the network.

Here's video of Stephens' arrest on Monday:

Pastor Tim Stephens arrested on new charges after 'underground' church servicesyoutu.be

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