Religious 'extremism' behind Sydney church stabbing, police say

Minns this morning said Police Commissioner Karen Webb had designated the stabbing a “terror incident” just prior to 2am and then informed the premier.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed during a service at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm overnight.

Father Isaac Royel was also injured. Both men are believed to be undergoing surgery today.

Parishioners apprehended a 16-year-old who is now in police custody, but the incident sparked fury in the community with a large crowd gathering outside the church, surging rapidly from about 50 to 500 people.

Two police were injured, one suffering a broken jaw.

Upwards of 100 police and more than 30 police vehicles swarmed the area, including specialist officers and the police helicopter.

Footage from the scene showed capsicum spray being used at one stage to try to disperse the crowd. 

It also appeared that police at one point used a ladder to break down a door in order to reach ambulance workers who were sheltering behind it.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb said police were attacked with fence palings, concrete, and bricks. Twenty police cars were damaged, 10 of them to the point of being “unusable”.

By the time it was deemed safe enough to remove the teenager from the church, police whisked him away to an undisclosed location for his own safety, Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said last night.

Separate strike forces have now been established to investigate the stabbing and the riot, but Webb confirmed no “special powers” had yet been sought.

Additional police patrols will also be deployed throughout the community.

This morning, Premier Chris Minns, Commissioner Webb, and Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan, condemned the violence that erupted among the crowd.

“I want to make something very, very clear – there’s no such thing in Australia in taking the law into your own hands,” Minns said.

He urged people to await official information and updates from NSW Police, rather than follow rumours on social media.

Webb pledged those who stirred up trouble outside the church would be getting “a knock on the door” from police.

Dr Morgan said six paramedics had been blockaded in the church, unable to leave for fear of their own safety.

“It is absolutely clear we cannot have this sort of behaviour,” Morgan said.

The 15-year-old accused of carrying out the attack also suffered injuries to his hand. Investigators have spoken to his parents.

Webb said he was known to police, but that he had not been on any terror watch list.

It’s believed he was acting alone.

Webb said the teen allegedly made comments “centred around religion” as he approached the bishop.

“The things that influenced my decision to declare this a terrorist incident was the actions of the individual, who attended – we will allege attended that church with a knife, armed with a knife, and stabbed the bishop, priest and others were also injured,” she said.

“We believe the elements that are satisfied in terms of religious-motivated extremism, and of course, the intimidation of the public through that person’s acts.”

There had been rumours circulated that the teen may have lost one or more fingers during the incident, but Webb said it was too early to specify how.

“That’s not clear yet whether it’s self-inflicted or through the melee that occurred, or some other way,” she said.

“And I understand that it’s possibly a flick knife. But that’s to be confirmed as well.”

The church this morning released an official statement calling for calm.

“The Church denounces retaliation of any kind,” the statement read in part.

The church called for its congregation to pray both for the wounded clergy, and for the alleged attacker.

“We’re asking for calm, and let the police do the job that we do well and that’s protecting our community,” Webb said.

“We have an investigation, we’re working with our community, we are engaging with our communities, this is not the time for retaliation or vigilantism.”