Stressing their role during the COVID-19 pandemic is to maintain the health and safety of all residents of the community, Aylmer Police are awaiting a recommendation from the Crown Attorney’s office on whether to proceed with charges against the Church of God. For the past three Sundays, the church has held drive-in services. It was only after the most recent service that police felt the drive-in gathering was in contravention of the province’s pandemic emergency order. Should charges be warranted, Police Chief Zvonko Horvat says they would be laid against the organizers of the drive-in services.
Horvat advised evidence, including video from Sunday’s gathering, has been forwarded to the Crown Attorney’s office and if charges are warranted, they would be laid against the organizers of the drive-in services.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Pastor Henry Hildebrandt noted, “It appears that the chief remains resolved to prosecute in the face of overwhelming legal opinion against his interpretation of the Emergency Act. We pray that he would seize this opportunity to resolve this situation quickly. We are very disturbed that he ordered his officers to intrusively videotape all those coming and going (without a warrant on private property).”
Pastor Hildebrandt continued, ‘We remain relentless in our resolve. No laws were broken, all safety guidelines were followed. Provinces across Canada and countries around the globe are endorsing drive-in services as a temporary measure as it is impossible to have a gathering without having physical proximity.”
Should a drive-in service be held again this Sunday, Horvat advised a determination would have to be made as to whether that would warrant a new charge or whether it would be added to the original charge. The maximum fine, according to Horvat, is $100,000.
