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Legal fallout, consequences of speaking out
Pawlowski told CP that he has received 29 COVID-19 tickets, three court orders, two injunctions and two court contempt trials over the course of the year.
On May 8, Pawlowski was arrested along with his brother, Dawid, as they were returning home from a church service at the Cave of Adullam. Video footage of the arrest shows Pawlowski refusing to walk with law enforcement as they escorted him to the police car, causing them to carry him to the vehicle.
Calgary Police issued a statement announcing that the brothers were “arrested and charged with organizing an illegal in-person gathering, including requesting, inciting or inviting others to attend an illegal public gathering, promoting and attending an illegal public gathering.” Pawlowski asserted that in addition to facing arrest for those actions, an officer told him, “I’m going to charge you with resisting arrest.” That statement caused Pawlowski to realize that “they are going to pin more stuff on me because they didn’t have anything real.”
Pawlowski denied that he was resisting arrest. “Anyone that’s seen the video knows I’m not resisting. I’m not complying, but I’m not resisting arrest.” After telling CP that one officer threatened him by saying, “I’m going to charge you with assaulting a peace officer,” he lamented that “those people are gangsters” and “lawbreakers.”
While Pawlowski spent “three days and two nights” in jail as law enforcement officials “used every opportunity to keep us there as long as they could,” he maintained that upon his release, “we were followed by an unmarked police vehicle all the way to our home,” as well as a helicopter. Pawlowski’s legal battles will persist for the foreseeable future and he is due back in court on Monday for sentencing.
In addition to the legal consequences he has faced for resisting coronavirus worship restrictions, Pawlowski has also become a target of public rancor. As The Christian Post previously reported, Pawlowski’s garage was set on fire shortly after his release from jail.
Pawlowski declared that the fire was an act of arson. “When the politicians and the mainstream media are coming out and saying all kinds of evil things … about an individual … you’re putting that person’s life at risk.”
The fire caused Pawlowski to lose “thousands of dollars' worth of stuff.” He was informed that “the garage will have to be demolished and rebuilt, so that’s probably $20,000, $30,000.”
A few days after the garage fire, Pawlowski went to Safeway to pick up a birthday cake with his daughter when he was assaulted by another customer.
“This guy comes in, he yells at me and my daughter and he punches me in the head.” As Pawlowski tried to take a picture of the man’s driver’s license, he “charged again.” Pawlowski’s assailant was ultimately arrested for assault.
In spite of the negative reaction to his actions by law enforcement, politicians and others, Pawlowski has primarily received “huge support” from his community. “I receive thousands of emails thanking me for standing up, thanking me [for being] brave enough to articulate what they're afraid to say or don’t have the means to say it.”
Even as he has spent time in jail and continued to clash with local law enforcement, Pawlowski reported that business has gone on as usual at the Cave of Adullam. “The church never stopped meeting. Even though … we were not allowed to come, other pastors took over the church, so the church still goes.”
“This is what they don’t understand about Christianity; if one pastor is down, there’s plenty of others that will take his place,” he explained. “I have about 10 people that are in line to take over the church services. If one is arrested, then another will take over. If that person will get arrested, then another will take over.”