TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — The senior pastor of a Taylorsville church has been placed on a leave of absence after an armed standoff in the street caused local schools to go into lockdown late in January.
On Friday, East Taylorsville Baptist Church shared a statement online acknowledging that Jamie Steele was involved in an incident that happened on Jan. 24 in the downtown area.
The church said the deacon board met several times and has been monitoring the issue. The church's statement said Steele is on a leave of absence for the time being.
Taylorsville Police Department told WCNC Charlotte the incident started when Steele crossed a double-yellow line in his car and struck several utility poles on West Main Avenue.
Police said they suspected impairment and called Alexander County EMS to assess Steele after his car became disabled on the road. When EMS arrived to check for injuries, Steele began to wave a gun around, the police department said.
This caused responders to evacuate the area and call for backup.
Officers said the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol supported Taylorsville police officers as they tried to negotiate with Steele.
During negotiations, the department said Steele fired a round from his gun. No one was injured. Steele eventually surrendered and was transported to a local medical facility.
Local schools were placed on lockdown as a safety precaution as the incident unfolded.
Steele ended up with several charges, including driving while impaired, reckless driving, open container, damage to property, carrying concealed weapon and "going armed to the terror of the public."
East Taylorsville Baptist Church's website says it is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the world's largest Baptist denomination. It's also the largest Protestant denomination and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States.
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