Police say Terrence Philip Walker Sr. was found inside the church where he serves as pastor.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota pastor has been charged after police said he stabbed his longtime girlfriend’s former boyfriend during a June 25 confrontation in St. Paul, then hid inside a nearby church.
Terrence Philip Walker Sr., 61, of Prior Lake, faces assault charges in Ramsey County connected to the stabbing. Authorities said the case began as a dispute involving tools and receipts, then turned violent outside a home on Marion Street. Walker serves as senior pastor at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in St. Paul.
Officers were called to the 1100 block of Marion Street late June 25 on a report of a stabbing. According to the criminal complaint, the victim had gone to the area because he believed Walker and Walker’s girlfriend were selling tools that belonged to him. The man shares a child with Walker’s girlfriend, authorities said. The complaint says the man wanted receipts connected to the tools. During the confrontation, police said, Walker used a knife or sharp object and stabbed the man. A witness told investigators she heard slashing sounds and saw the victim bleeding during the fight.
The victim, described in court records as a 39-year-old man, suffered a serious abdominal wound and was taken to Regions Hospital. Police said Walker left the scene after the stabbing. Officers later found him inside Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, where he was arrested. Authorities said Walker had a razor blade when he was taken into custody, and investigators noted drops of blood on his clothing. Police have not released the victim’s name. The complaint also says the victim previously had ties to the church.
Walker told police he acted in self-defense. According to investigators, he said the other man attacked him first and that he used a knife during the struggle. Prosecutors have charged Walker with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. Criminal charges are allegations, and Walker is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. It was not immediately clear from public reports whether he had entered a plea or retained an attorney.
The case was filed in Ramsey County District Court on June 26, one day after the stabbing. Court records list the matter as an assault case tied to the June 25 incident in St. Paul. The next steps are expected to include court appearances, review of police reports and any evidence collected at the scene, including witness statements and medical records. Authorities have not said whether additional charges are possible.
The arrest drew attention because of Walker’s role at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church. The church is located in St. Paul, where Walker has served in a public religious leadership role. Officials have not said whether the church was involved in the events before the stabbing, beyond being the place where officers found Walker after he left the scene. The church had not issued a public statement in the reports reviewed.
As of July 1, the case remains pending in Ramsey County. Walker faces the next stage of criminal proceedings while investigators continue to sort through the accounts of the fight, the reported tool dispute and the events that led police to the church.