Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Whitehead arrested after allegedly grabbing a woman
Whitehead reportedly believed was a threat to his family, released by police about two hours later.
The third suspect who remained at large in the 2022 armed robbery of embattled Brooklyn "bling bishop" Lamor Whitehead during a livestreamed New York City church service has reportedly been shot and killed by U.S. Marshals attempting to bring him into custody in New Jersey this week.
The New York City Police Department in June identified Shamar Leggette as the third suspect accused of holding Whitehead, his wife and their infant daughter at gunpoint during a livestreamed sermon at the "Church" in Brooklyn on July 24, 2022, before the trio of masked bandits made off with more than $1 million-worth of jewelry.
In September, the DOJ announced the arrests of the two other suspects, 23-year-olds Juwan Anderson and Say-Quan Pollack, both from Brooklyn, but Leggette still remained at large.
Leggette, 41, has since been shot and killed by U.S. Marshals attempting to bring him into custody in New Jersey, according to the New York Post, citing law enforcement sources.
BROOKLYN BISHOP LAMOR WHITEHEAD ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY GRABBING WOMAN DURING LIVE-STREAMED SERMON
Shamar Leggette was accused of robbing Lamor Whitehead in July 2022. (NY DOC/ Getty Images)
Sources also told WNBC that Leggette was killed, adding that U.S. Marshals had come to arrest him at the MHO Inn and Suites on U.S.-1 in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey.
A woman who was with him surrendered to authorities, but Leggette then came outside during negotiations with federal agents and began opening fire toward deputy marshals. The marshals then returned fire, killing Leggette, according to the senior law enforcement sources who spoke with WNBC.
The New Jersey State Attorney General's Office is reportedly investigating the shooting.
The NJ OAG told Fox News Digital in an email on Thursday that their office was not yet identifying the people involved but provided a press release about a shooting at the same hotel.
"The Attorney General’s Office is investigating a fatal police-involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at a South Brunswick, New Jersey, motel. A man sustained fatal injuries after exchanging gunfire with officers. His identity is not being released at this time," the press release said.
According to the preliminary information, members of the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Task Force, assisting the New York office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrived at the motel on Route 1 South in Monmouth Junction at approximately 2:05 p.m. to execute an arrest warrant for a suspect in several felony offenses.
At approximately 2:47 p.m. on Wednesday, the individual to be arrested exchanged gunfire with officers, the attorney general's office said. The individual was pronounced deceased at approximately 4:29 p.m. Authorities recovered two firearms near the decedent. No officers were hit during the shooting.
Fox News Digital also reached out to the U.S. Marshal's Service for comment Thursday but did not immediately hear back.
Bishop Lamor Whitehead speaks about the livestreamed robbery during a news conference in Brooklyn on Friday, July 29, 2022. (Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Leggette is also listed third on New York’s "most wanted" list on unrelated attempted murder, robbery and criminal use of a firearm charges for allegedly robbing a woman from behind of a $7,000 bank deposit during her employment.
Whitehead is facing federal fraud, extortion and false statements charges himself, after the Justice Department alleged through an indictment in December 2022 that the "bling bishop" defrauded his parishioners out of tens of thousands of dollars of their retirement savings in an attempt to finance his own New Jersey mansion.
The bishop was also arrested in September 2022 for allegedly grabbing a woman during another livestreamed sermon.
Leggette reportedly served two previous stints in state prison and was out on parole at the time of the robbery on Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, where the three armed suspects were caught on video making off with the bishop’s $75,000 Rolex watch, a $75,000 Cavalier watch, and a $25,000 ruby and diamond ring, among other valuables.
Donning a Gucci suit, Whitehead went on Instagram live Wednesday night to address reports of Leggette’s death, according to the Post.
Leggette "was the guy that put the gun in my wife’s face and put the gun in my eight-month-old daughter’s face," according to Whitehead, "So this is the guy that was at large and he came and put the gun to my head and ripped my clergy collar off and ripped my chains off and he was just brutal."
Lamor Whitehead leaves the Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Brooklyn, New York. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
"I forgive him and I do want to extend my services to the family," Whitehead said on Instagram Live, according to the Post. "I would eulogize him, I will preach the service, whatever I can do in a pastor’s capacity, I will do it, free of charge."
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"My condolences really go out to his family," he continued. "This is a sad situation where once again, we as African American people — it’s a cycle of destruction… It’s so senseless."
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