Wayne Dodge Starts Church Brawl Over ‘Seat Saving’ Practices

Church attendee Wayne Dodge was booked into Weber County Jail this week on suspicion of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor.

Dodge was arrested after he caused a church brawl over a few seats that were being saved for other parishioners during an unusually packed service.

An argument broke out in the pews because more than 400 people were attempting to fit inside the church for a missionary’s farewell and a baby blessing.

A deputy for the Plain City police department said it was the “seat saving” practice that led to the initial argument. The officer then revealed that a fistfight broke out in the church’s parking and that one man was hit by a car.

The Weber County Sheriff’s deputies received numerous 911 calls from members of the LDC chapel.

The bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Meadows Ward told FOX 13:

“There was some seats that were allegedly saved, and there was a disagreement over whether they were saved or not and an individual sitting there. This continued to escalate throughout the day.”

Weber County Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Lowther explains what happened to the man who was hit by a car:

“He ended up on the hood of the car. We did an investigation, there was conflicting stories (between the two men), but according to witness accounts there was enough probable cause to make an arrest for aggravated assault.”

Here’s a mugshot of Wayne Dodge:

Nobody was hospitalized because of the church brawl.

According to the church’s bishop: “This is a place of worship. The bottom line is we have to come back to church next Sunday.”

It’s still not clear why Wayne Dodge resorted to an outright fist fight over a simple seat saving issue.