Christian Pastor Hauled Away in Handcuffs After ‘Criticising Islam’

A Christian pastor says he was treated like a criminal for doing little more than preaching the Gospel in public and speaking openly about his religious beliefs.

Steve Maile, a 66-year-old pastor from Oasis City Church, was arrested in Watford town centre after he allegedly criticized Islam while preaching to members of the public in a busy shopping area. The shocking confrontation, which was caught on video, has already sparked outrage among those who see it as yet another sign that open Christian expression is being pushed to the margins.

Maile, a married father of four and grandfather, had reportedly been speaking for around 10 minutes on Saturday when police moved in. During his street preaching, he discussed violence within Islam while questioning whether the faith could truly be described as a religion of peace. He was also singing Christian hymns and telling onlookers that he wanted Muslims to come to Christ.

Then everything changed.

Three Hertfordshire Police officers suddenly surrounded the longtime pastor, placed him in handcuffs, and arrested him on suspicion of assault and racially or religiously aggravated disorderly behavior. As officers pulled him in, Maile could be heard protesting loudly.

“I am a preacher of the Gospel,” he shouted. “There is no offence being committed here, none whatsoever.”

Even while officers tried to silence him, Maile kept preaching.

“You repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you’ll be saved,” he told them. “This is an utter disgrace, in this nation.”

At one point, police accused him of assaulting a child, an allegation he flatly denied on the spot.

“I’ve not assaulted anyone,” Maile said. “Take these off now, in the name of Jesus. You people should be ashamed of yourselves, arresting a minister of the gospel in Watford.”

A woman who filmed the confrontation backed him up immediately, insisting she had recorded the entire incident and had seen no assault take place.

“Which child?” she said. “I’ve been filming every moment and he has not assaulted a child. This is a grandfather, he is a pastor.”

As Maile was pushed toward the police car, onlookers could be heard booing. The pastor, clearly furious and in pain, shouted to the crowd: “Mums and dads, boys and girls, watch this. This is the police in our country.”

Then came the moment that has stunned many viewers.

A female officer yelled at him, “In the name of Jesus, get in the car.”

Before the door was shut, Maile pleaded with officers to loosen the cuffs, saying they were hurting his wrists. He later claimed he had been tightly handcuffed for around an hour and a half, including with a so-called double lock, despite repeatedly telling police he was in pain. According to Maile, the injuries were serious enough that he later needed medical attention and splints for his hands.

Speaking afterward, the veteran pastor said the arrest felt surreal.

“One moment I was preaching the gospel, the next I was surrounded and in cuffs,” he said. “I knew immediately this was wrong.”

He described the officers closing in within seconds and said the entire scene left the crowd stunned. Though shaken, he said he was not intimidated and believed the arrest was unjust from the moment it happened.

Maile was first taken to Watford police station and later transferred to Hatfield police station. He claims he was held for up to 12 hours in total. He also said he was denied toilet access for a prolonged period and that his family was not told where he had been taken.

The original assault allegation, which centered on claims involving a teenager, was later dropped. But Maile remains under investigation for a Section 5 public order offence tied to racially or religiously aggravated disorderly behavior.

The pastor believes that lingering accusation is tied directly to his comments criticizing Islam and homosexuality, which he says were based entirely on Scripture.

“I only ever preach or paraphrase the Bible,” Maile said. “I plead with people to come to Jesus. I do not attack individuals. I love everyone.”

Still, he says the ordeal has taken a serious personal toll, leaving him emotionally drained and struggling to sleep. But far from backing down, Maile says the experience has only strengthened his resolve.

“They have picked on the wrong man,” he said. “It was an awful experience being arrested in front of my family and children. This is a gross injustice.”

He added that he wants to be acquitted, wants a public apology, and wants to make sure this kind of arrest does not happen to anyone else. He also made clear that he has no plans to stop preaching in public.

Maile is now being represented by the Christian Legal Centre, which says the case raises disturbing questions about freedom of speech and religious liberty in Britain.

Andrea Williams, the group’s chief executive, said the footage is deeply troubling and argued that a peaceful Christian preacher appeared to be treated like a dangerous criminal simply for expressing biblical beliefs and declaring that Islam is false in a public place.

She said the arrest raises serious concerns over whether Christianity is now being criminalized while authorities fail to apply the law evenly.

Hertfordshire Constabulary confirmed that a man in his 60s was arrested on Saturday, April 18, on suspicion of assault and a Section 5 public order offence involving racially or religiously aggravated disorderly behavior. Police said he has since been released on bail while the public order investigation continues. They also confirmed that no further action is being taken over the assault allegation.

The controversy comes just two months after another high-profile incident involving Christian preaching and police in London. In February, a Metropolitan Police officer was praised after she defended a Christian preacher in Whitechapel when angry men confronted him and declared, “This is a Muslim area.”

In that case, the officer firmly reminded the crowd that in Britain, people still have freedom of speech. She told those offended by the preaching that if they did not want to hear it, they could simply walk away.

That sharp contrast is only adding more fuel to the outrage surrounding Maile’s arrest.

For many critics, the message now seems impossible to ignore. When radical voices push boundaries, authorities often hesitate. But when a Christian pastor quotes Scripture in public and challenges another faith, the handcuffs come out.

Maile, who became a Christian in 1979 and founded Oasis City Church with his wife Karina in 1999, says he is not afraid. After 45 years in ministry and preaching in more than 50 countries, he insists he will keep doing what he believes God called him to do.

And after this arrest, his supporters say the bigger issue is no longer just about one preacher in one town square. It is about whether Christians in the West can still speak openly about their faith without being silenced, punished, or paraded away in cuffs.