A 24-year-old Palm Bay man remains in custody after police say he broke into a church with a sledgehammer, causing at least $10,000 in damage before attacking an officer with a metal Stanley cup.
Timothy Donald Bornman was charged with burglary of a vacant building, criminal mischief of a house of worship, assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting officers with violence after police were called last week to a possible burglary at Mission Church, 100 Emerson Drive, to investigate. , according to reports.
Police responded to the church on June 1 and saw Bornman in the parking lot, where he was holding the Stanley Cup and yelling and cursing, arrest reports show.
Police said Bornman, who was wearing only shorts, approached an officer and yelled, “I’m going to cuss you out,” reports show.
At one point, police said, Bornman walked up to the officer with the metal cup, attempting to hit the officer in the head, but hitting his shoulder instead. Another officer fired a Taser at Bornman, who fell back. A struggle ensued, but officers were able to handcuff Bornman, according to an arrest affidavit.
Police said Bornman broke into a shed on the church grounds and then used a sledgehammer to smash the church’s front door and damage items inside. Bornman told officers he was targeting the church. It was not immediately clear whether there was a previous connection between Bornman and the municipality.
More: Questions remain about the helicopter and the presence of deputies in Melbourne Beach over the weekend
Bornman was booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes. No court date has been set.
JD Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Police: Brevard man broke into church, hit officer with Stanley cup
