Man Arrested at Church Service After Members Believe he was Testing Security of Church
Texarkana Arkansas April 20 2023
Tuesday morning, April 18th, the police department received a phone call from a member of the security team at Faith Assembly of God located at 2001 Arkansas Boulevard in reference to a man who had been acting suspiciously while attending revival services.
Police were informed of several incidents on different nights that made church members believe the man was testing the security of the church while also asking personal questions about the members and staff. At the request of the church, officers arrived at the beginning of last night’s service to make the church members feel safer. The man arrived at 7:00 p.m. and entered the church.
Officers on scene walked by the man’s vehicle and observed in plain view an AR-style rifle, multiple 30 round magazines, a shotgun, a belt loaded with shotgun shells, knives, tourniquets, and other survival gear. Officers shared this information with church staff and they requested the man be removed from the property.
Officers located the man exiting the bathroom and asked him to speak with them. He ignored their request and walked by them toward the main sanctuary filled with other attendees. Officers repeated their request and they reached to grab his arm to gain his attention. The man turned around, balled up his fist, and took a fighting stance, while backing up into the sanctuary where church services had already begun.
Officers attempted to remove him from the church and he begin to fight with them while he also tried to remove items off of one officer’s utility belt. The man was sprayed with O.C. spray and taken into custody. During a search of the man’s person, he was found to be in possession of marijuana and his identification identified him as Phillip Osbon of Minden, Louisiana.
Osbon was transported to the Miller County Jail and charged with obstructing governmental operations, resisting arrest, fleeing on foot, and possession of a controlled substance-marijuana.
Osbon is currently showing an active felony warrant in Colorado for obstructing justice related to an assault on a peace officer, although they will not extradite him.
This is the second of two church related incidents recently where a person has entered a church building asking suspicious questions about the staffing, security, and personal questions about the staff member’s families. An arrest has been made in both situations.
Police encourage our local churches, businesses, and civic organizations to be alert and aware of activities that are outside the normal for their members and daily functions. They encourage you to contact your local law enforcement if you feel unsafe or if you need to discuss a situation that may need further investigation. TAPD is happy to assist in developing a security plan for your group or facility.
