Police lights flash on top of a police car at night near a crime scene. (Evgen_Prozhyrko / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin January 24, 2026 at 5:00am
A disturbed man was arrested on Jan. 9 after he allegedly disrupted a Roman Catholic church service in Staten Island, New York.
WABC-TV reported that a 911 call was placed from within St. Ann’s in Dongan Hills regarding a violent man in the place of worship.
Police confronted the man and tased him, after which he dropped on the altar.
The priest ducked out of the way, according to WABC, and police struggled to get the man into handcuffs.
Flowers were knocked over amid the struggle.
Police hit the man in the head, causing him to yelp, and dragged him away.
But the man got loose and started throwing punches at the officers.
The man — who was not a parishioner — went to the hospital for evaluation after police were finally able to subdue him.
Footage of the violent incident was shared on social media.
HOLY HAVOC: Altar brawl breaks out as NYPD arrests unruly man inside Staten Island Church pic.twitter.com/rUzGvtUavd
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 13, 2026
The suspect was 28-year-old Matthew Caffrey, according to a report from the New York Post.
The officers sustained minor injuries, while St. Ann’s took some damage as well.
One parishioner told the outlet that the man not only threw flowers on the floor, but also knocked over a statue of an angel and broke its wing.
The New York Post added that police had attempted speaking with Caffrey before he apparently became belligerent.
He now faces charges of assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration.
Rev. Steve Challman addressed the incident during a mass on Jan. 10, the day following the altercation, saying that “we’ve had a difficult couple of days here at St. Ann’s,” per a report from The Christian Post.
“But we find ourselves gathered here as we do each week in the presence of the Lord,” he added.
“And as a parish family, we pray for all who were impacted by yesterday’s events, and we thank the members of the NYPD who are with us tonight and who spend each day protecting Staten Island.”
Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations; guiding the editorial direction of The Western Journal; and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Entertainment News, Christian-Conservatism
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
