Police asked to take church disturbance seriously, but say there is no cause for concern

Auckland police know the identity of a man who interrupted a Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga church service in Mt Roskill on Sunday afternoon.

The man walked into the service and began shouting.

Police said no offence had been committed and there was no cause for concern.

Witnesses said the man ran into the church and began yelling “Jesus, Jesus.”

When he reached the front of the church he began kissing people on the head and trying to shake their hands.

The man was removed from the church by a member of the congregation.

After he was removed from the church, the man started “screaming Somalia, Somalia”.

He then turned around and said “Somalia and Tonga are one”, an eyewitness told the New Zealand Herald.

It is believed the man also entered the church hall where food was being prepared.

One member of the congregation who spoke to the media said she wanted police to take the incident seriously because “this is not a small thing.”

The main points

• Auckland police know the identity of a man who interrupted a Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga church service in Mt Roskill on Sunday afternoon.
• The man walked into the service and began shouting.

For more information

Man storms into Tongan church in Auckland and starts yelling