Dramatic footage has been released of the sudden attack on an auxiliary bishop as he said prayers at a service in Newark, New Jersey, over the weekend.
Video obtained by TAPintoNewark.net, a hyper local news network, shows the Rev. Manuel A. Cruz speaking at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart Saturday as a man in a cream-colored suit and hat saunters onto the altar, followed by a security guard.
With the guard steps behind, the suspect is seen throwing a punch at the auxiliary bishop, who is flung to the right and onto the ground as the suspect is tackled to the floor on the left. Chaos erupts in the basilica before the suspect is led away.
Cruz needed two stitches in his lip. He had been offering the opening prayers at a service celebrating the life of baseball player Roberto Clemente when he was attack.
Forty-eight-year-old Charles Miller, who has no criminal history, was arrested on a simple assault charge. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf, and no potential motive has been released by police.
