Aylmer Police have laid charges after another large gathering at the Church Of God Restoration in Aylmer, Ont.
The church, which has consistently defied emergency orders, held an in-person service Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The service was also livestreamed. Dozens could be seen in attendance, while police monitored the scene in anticipation of the gathering. Police said they received more than a dozen complaints from concerned citizens reporting the breach of Emergency Order.
This comes after officers responded to complaints made Tuesday that the church was holding a large gathering where 18 people were seen exiting the building. In a statement, Aylmer Police noted that no one at that gathering was wearing masks or following health protocols. Four people were arrested, including two Toronto Police officers.
In-person religious gatherings are currently limited to maximum of ten people under the current provincial order, and all those in attendance are expected to wear masks and social distance.
Aylmer Police said several persons of interest were identified at Sunday's service, and add that charges for violating the emergency orders are being processed.
Notably, around 12:55 p.m., police said a 20-year-old churchgoer and a 52-year-old churchgoer both attempted to interfere with an Aylmer officer, failing to stop after continued warnings. Both were charged with Obstruct Police.
Another 48-year-old churchgoer was charged with Assault after police say he charged towards a civilian reporter in an "aggressive assaultive manner."
The Church of God Restoration and its pastor Henry Hildebrandt have gained notoriety throughout the pandemic for repeatedly defying the province’s COVID-19 lockdown rules. Charges were laid against two church officials on February 1 for hosting a gathering exceeding the number permitted under the Reopening Ontario Act. Police called the nearly hour and a half long service, which was streamed on Hildebrandt’s YouTube channel, a “clear contravention of emergency orders.”
A week before that, nearly 50 church parishioners were ticketed for participating in a defiant indoor service.
-With files from Miranda Chant