Prosecutors in Pennsylvania have refused to charge a Christian man who was arrested by police for publicly quoting the Bible in the streets of Reading.
As Slay News reported, Damon Atkins was arrested for trying to quote the Bible to Pride attendees who were across the street from him.
However, the Berks County District Attorney has dropped the charges against Atkins and warned the City of Reading and the police department responsible to prepare for “legal action” in response to their “unlawful arrest.”
“After a review of the incident which took place on June 3, 2023, in the 800 block of Washington Street in the City of Reading, the District Attorney’s Office has withdrawn the charges of disorderly conduct filed against Damon Atkins,” a Tuesday Facebook post from the county prosecutor reads.
“The charges were withdrawn after the District Attorney’s Office reviewed the videos of the incident along with applicable case law.”
According to the Lancaster Patriot — which initially covered details of the arrest — an email from Berks County Commissioner Christian Leinbach said:
“From what I have seen thus far, I believe this was an unlawful arrest and could open the City of Reading and their police department to legal action.”
Atkins, was arrested after cops saw him trying to quote the Bible to Pride-rally attendees who were across the street from him
Cell phone footage of the incident, which took place Saturday outside City Hall at 815 Washington Street, has been going viral on social media
The first annual Reading Pride March & Rally was underway at the time.
Reading is about 90 minutes northwest of Philadelphia.
The Patriot said Atkins was standing on the public sidewalk holding signs just after 10 am.
The police then started to target Atkins, the outlet revealed.
The main officer was identified by the Patriot as Sgt. Bradley McClure.
McClure is standing in the street and speaking to Atkins, who is standing on the sidewalk.
“This is public property,” Atkins tells the officer.
The cop agrees it is public property but still insists that Atkins “let them have their event” and “respect it.”
“You know who’s cheering for us?” Atkins replies.
“The people that are in hell.”
The Patriot said Atkins later explained that he was referring to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in the Gospel of Luke.
In the parable, a rich man begs Father Abraham to send someone to warn his brothers about the place of torment he’s in.
As the officer turns and walks away, Atkins says, “So you do you, and I’m gonna do me.”
With that, Atkins begins speaking, hollering “You!” across the street and then uttering the words, “God is not…”
The officer then says, “That’s it!” as he turns back and arrests Atkins.
At this point, the Pride-rally attendees applaud.
Atkins added to the Patriot that he was going to quote a portion of 1 Corinthians 14:33 “God is not the author of confusion.”
However, he didn’t finish speaking the verse because he was being arrested.
Moments later when a handcuffed Atkins continues trying to speak to the Pride-rally attendees, the officer turns him around and walks him up against a building’s outer wall.
Soon the officer walks Atkins away from the rally, as two other officers follow.
They can be seen sitting him on a curb while emptying his backpack.
“Sheer tyranny,” says Wear, who is still recording video of everything.
Meanwhile, a Pride representative mocks the incident over a loudspeaker, boasting that “protesters across the street” managed to “get themselves in trouble with the police.”
The crowd begins cheering as a fellow citizen is stripped of his rights in front of them.
The man on the mic then urges the protesters to get “some love into that heart of yours.”
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