Parishioners subdued and restrained a man at an East Village church after he brandished what appeared to be a gun during service Sunday morning, authorities said.
Officers responded to the church, which was not named, just after 11 a.m. following reports of a person with a gun, according to the Long Beach Police Department spokesperson Allison Gallagher.
Officers found the man detained by churchgoers on the 500 block of Olive Avenue, the department said. Witnesses told police the man entered the East Village church and “began causing a disturbance,” waving around what appeared to be a gun.
St. Anthony Catholic Church is located at 540 Olive Ave., but neither the church or police have confirmed whether the disturbance unfolded there.
Police determined the item was a 10-inch-long lighter resembling an AK-47 rifle, the department said. No injuries were reported, according to LBPD.
The man was booked on charges of displaying an imitation firearm in public, brandishing a replica firearm and disturbing a religious meeting, Gallagher said, adding the man also has an outstanding warrant.