Thread: TX- Pastor Tasered Defending ILLEGAL During Traffic Stop

The action of the "pastor" doesn't make much sense; why would he become so upset over a traffic stop unless he believed the uninsured driver who was also a member of his church had something else to hide.

July 01, 2009
Pastor arrested in Webster [Updated]
A Webster minister angry over a traffic stop involving a church member was arrested Wednesday morning after police Tasered him and tried to break up a crowd from his church with pepper spray.

Webster Police Chief Ray Smiley said the pastor pushed two police officers in the incident outside Iglesia Profetica Peniel, 120 N. Austin St.

Jose Moran, 42, is charged with interfering with the duties of a public servant, but Moran and his family disputed the police account, telling the Associated Press he never laid a hand on police. They told AP they plan to hire an attorney to press charges against police.

Here's the Webster police chief's account of the incident:

It began about 5:20 a.m. when Officer Raymond Berryman was talking with a motorist in Iglesia Profetica Peniel's parking lot. The officer had run a registration check on the car and discovered he had no insurance.

Moran approached the officer and informed him that he is the church's pastor. Moran then started yelling at the officer and demanded to know why a member of his congregation had been stopped. The officer asked the pastor to leave several times, because he was interfering with his duties.

"He said we were on private property and wanted us off the property," Smiley said. "He was pretty aggressive."

Smiley's account of the incident continues:

When Moran refused to leave, the officer told him that he was under arrest. Moran pushed the officer as he tried to handcuff him and fled inside the church.

Moran closed and locked the church's door but then came outside the church with a group of approximately 40 people who surrounded the officer. Fearful of his safety, the officer sprayed his pepper spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

Backup officers arrived shortly thereafter and again attempted to arrest Moran. He pushed another officer, and that officer used his Taser to finally subdue and arrest him.

Moran, however, gave a different account to the Associated Press, saying congregants had gathered at the church for an early-morning prayer service when he learned of the traffic stop in the parking lot:

Moran told The Associated Press that when he was told a member of the church had been stopped, he went outside to ask what was going on. He said he was told to go back inside and said the officer grabbed his shirt when he said "I'm the pastor." Moran said he went back inside to get witnesses and the officer chased him and began to kick the door.

Moran said that when they came back outside the officer started spraying pepper spray as soon as the door was opened. A second officer shocked him twice with a Taser, he said.

"Why don't they go to the clubs and the bars where bad things are happening? Why do they need to come to a church?" Moran asked in Spanish.


Moran, who his wife says has a heart condition, complained of chest pain and was taken to a Clear Lake hospital. AP reported he was to be kept at the hospital overnight and the family posted bail.

The motorist originally questioned by the officer was issued two citations -- one for lacking insurance and one for lacking a driver's license -- and released. He was from Honduras and showed some identification from the consulate office to the officer, who was going to let him go.

"We don't ask people whether they're illegal or not," Smiley said. "He was just going to let him walk, and all this happened."

Smiley noted that the church does not have a city-issued certificate of occupancy, although Moran told AP that he applied for one in April.

"There shouldn't have been anyone in the building," Smiley said. "But that's neither here nor there with the case in question."Posted by Thayer Evans at July 1, 2009 02:57 PM

http://blogs.chron.com/bayarea/archives ... ested.html

The action of the "pastor" doesn't make much sense; why would he become so upset over a traffic stop unless he believed the uninsured driver who was also a member of his church had something else to hide


Smiley noted that the church does not have a city-issued certificate of occupancy, although Moran told AP that he applied for one in April.


You have to remember that alot of these "churches" are self-started operations and many of the "pastors" are self-proclaimed or have been "ordained" via certiicates online that anyone can purchase and voila.....Insta-Clergy.

Some are sincere in what they do, of course, but, from what I've seen of this, the majority are in for the money collected from the congregations and whatever funding and grants they can wheedle to run their "church".

You'd be surprised just how quickly the quality of life for these so called pastors improves once their church is up and running.....new vehicles, top of the line clothing, the wife with the jewelry, coiffed, manuicured....the whole 9.

"You'd be surprised just how quickly the quality of life for these so called pastors improves once their church is up and running.....new vehicles, top of the line clothing, the wife with the jewelry, coiffed, manuicured....the whole 9."

"Why don't they go to the clubs and the bars where bad things are happening? Why do they need to come to a church?" Moran asked in Spanish.

From the article he must have spent a little money on spanish lessons.

This is the original article from the chronicle that did not mention anything about the possibility of ILLEGAL status.

Webster pastor Tasered by police
By THAYER EVANS Copyright 2009 HOUSTON CHRONICLE
July 1, 2009, 11:20PMShare Print Share Del.icio.usDiggTwitterYahoo! BuzzFacebookStumbleUponA Webster minister angry over a traffic stop involving a church member was arrested Wednesday after police Tasered him and tried to break up a crowd of churchgoers with pepper spray, officials said.

Jose Elias Moran, 42, is charged with interfering with the duties of a public servant. He was released from the Harris County Jail on $500 bond.

Webster Police Chief Ray Smiley said Moran pushed two police officers in the incident that occurred about 5:30 a.m. outside Iglesia Profetica Peniel, 120 N. Austin.

Moran could not be reached for comment. His family disputed the police account, telling the Associated Press he never laid a hand on police.

Moran’s son Miguel told the AP that 30 witnesses saw the police officer turn aggressive and repeatedly kick the door of the church. Members were hit with pepper spray, Miguel Moran said.

“They treated him as if he were a drug dealer or murderer, but he is a pastor that tries to help the community,â€

He had no business interfering with the officer.....PERIOD. He initiated a mob situation and was harassing the officer and making him feel threatened. He deserved what he got and charges should be brought against him for his interference.

Originally Posted by lccat

"Why don't they go to the clubs and the bars where bad things are happening? Why do they need to come to a church?" Moran asked in Spanish.

Looks like bad things happen at church too. Harboring criminals, interfering with the duties of police, resisting arrest, assaulting a peace officer. Looks like the church is being run by a criminal.

Originally Posted by bigtex

Looks like bad things happen at church too. Harboring criminals, interfering with the duties of police, resisting arrest, assaulting a peace officer. Looks like the church is being run by a criminal.

I agree, he certainly is not representing God.

5:20 in the morning, 40 people, Honduras National, unlicensed church...doesn't sound too kosher to me.

I'd say they had a people smuggling operation going on and the police officers didn't recognize what was going on under their noses.

The officer was dealing with the one guy and was going to ignore his status in the US issue when this "pastor" goes off on them. He then brought to light what was going on there and the police still have no intentions of pursuing anything against the group.

My pastor would not have stopped a prayer service over a traffic stop.

Smiley noted that the church does not have a city-issued certificate of occupancy, although Moran told AP that he applied for one in April.

That pretty much confirms that the pastor is dishonest.

He's knowingly opperating without a license.

Dixie

The pastor deserved what he got. I would have done the same if I were the sole police officer surrouded by a angry mob of possible illegal aliens from a supposed church.