Police: Homeless Man Slaps Pastor, Threatens To Blow Up Church

A homeless man taking refuge in a residential home converted into a church was charged with battery, aggravated assault and disorderly conduct after he slapped the pastor who was trying to help him, reports said.

were called to Strictly for Christ Church at 8758 S. Central Ave. at 9:39 a.m. Nov. 18 to remove Adam E. Paplawska III, 34, whose last known address is in Chicago.

According to the police report, the 70-year-old pastor had provided Paplawska, who is homeless, a room in the church basement. The pastor asked Paplawska not to drink, smoke or bring women into the church.

The pastor had left for the day and when he returned, Paplawska was intoxicated and had been smoking inside the church, and was in the company of a woman, police said.

When the pastor asked Paplawska to leave, police said the man became verbally abusive to the minister and his assistant.

Police found Paplawska in his room, where he appeared intoxicated. After speaking to him for a few minutes, Paplawska decided to leave, officers said.

While Paplawska was with police, he told the pastor it was “B.S.” that he was making him leave because of all the work he had done for the pastor. Told that he had never done any work, Paplawska became “irate” and walked toward the pastor with a “raised hand,” reports said.

Police told the pastor to leave and stayed with Paplawska while he put on his jacket and sweatshirt. As he was gathering his things, police said Paplawska was still shouting and threatening the pastor to burn the church down and blow it up.

Advised by police that it probably wasn’t a good idea to make a threat in front of a police officer, officers said that Paplawska swore at them.

When leaving they encountered the pastor who was still in the stairwell. Police said that Paplawska raised his hand and lunged at the pastor, slapping him on the head. The strike caused the pastor to stumble down to the stair landing.

After a brief struggle, police were able to handcuff Paplawska and arrest him. Paplawska asked police why he was under arrest. Advised that he had hit the minister in front of two police officers, Paplawska denied it, reports said.

En route to the Oak Lawn police station, police said, Paplawska bumped his head against the cage inside the squad car intentionally. According to the report, Paplawska said, “You guys did it now, you hurt me.”

Once at the station, Paplawska had to be pulled from the squad car. Police said the man became combative in the lock-up and tried to hit a detective during processing.

The case is under felony review by the Cook County State’s Attorney because the pastor was over 60 years old. Paplawska was charged with battery and disorderly conduct. The detective signed a complaint against Paplawska for aggravated assault during booking.

No further court information was available for Paplawska.

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