Pastor acquitted after being arrested when police helicopter found church gathering outside during pandemic
Fox News
A provincial court in Alberta acquitted Pastor Tim Stephens, who was arrested twice on alleged charges of violating provincial public health orders regarding physical distancing.
Stephens was imprisoned twice last year for keeping his Fairview Baptist Church open. His second arrest, which reportedly happened after a police helicopter found his church gathering outside after police had locked their church, prompted Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to send a letter to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urging it to consider adding Canada to its watch list. Jon Brown is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to jon.brown@fox.com.
"We are pleased that the Court has acquitted Pastor Stephens on the charges of not complying with a public health order," attorneys for Stephens said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "Pastor Stephens was illegally arrested and imprisoned for having allegedly violated the public health orders, which have since been shown to be ineffective and harmful."
"This decision sets the record straight about the justifiability of his actions and about the importance of respecting Charter rights and freedoms," the statement added.
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