Christmas Eve churchgoer with weapon jailed

A man who scared churchgoers on Christmas Eve when he pulled a handmade machete from his pants and placed it on the altar while he prayed remained jailed Tuesday on a weapons charge.

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Paul Ray Smith Jr., 39, was charged with unlawful carrying of weapons. Bail was set at $750.

People who attended the service at Meadowbrook First Baptist Church called police but told them Smith did not try to use the 15-inch knife that he pulled out before kneeling to pray.

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When police stopped him after the service, they found a dagger and a crudely made firearm called a "zip gun." The machete had been sharpened on one side, and its handle was a tree limb wrapped in black tape and a leather belt.

Unlawful carrying of weapons is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $4,000 fine.