Philly Jesus was cuffed and dragged away by police in front of a stunned crowd at LOVE Park on Friday afternoon.
But the well-known imitator of Jesus Christ is trying to take the experience as a positive one.
“All is well,” Philly Jesus told Metro after the ordeal.
“It’s just pushing me into my destiny.”
Philly Jesus, whose real name is Mike Grant, is a fixture at the park who talks about God with the public and is also almost as popular as the Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture for getting passersby to get photographed with. Philly Jesus was locked up on Friday after police officers accused him of a crime for accepting cash donations from his fans, NBC reported.
People come up to me and ask me to take pics with them and for them..I tell them i Dnt charge but tips are welcome.. cop said u r solicitin
— phillyjesus (@phillyjesus) November 14, 2014
He was captive for a few hours while being booked, Philly Jesus said.
Philly Jesus received an outpouring of support on social media, with people tweeting “Free Philly Jesus!” for hours, even after Philly Jesus had been released and was photographed skating on the new rink at Dilworth Park. Philly Jesus was charged with disorderly conduct and failure to disperse, according to court records.
No court date has yet been scheduled.
