NAACP Lanc.

Community and faith leaders led by the Lancaster County NAACP - and joined by law enforcement - gather in the wake of shooting aimed at police in Columbia Borough to denounce violence.

(Ivey DeJesus/PennLive)

A cadre of community leaders led by the NAACP - including church leaders and law enforcement officials - stood in solidarity outside a Columbia, Lancaster County church on Tuesday to denounce violence in their community, particularly violence against police.

The press conference, organized by the Lancaster NAACP, came just days after a 17-year-old boy was arrested for attempting to shoot and kill four police officers in the borough.

Reading a Bible passage, Pastor Charles Deutsch of the Ironville United Methodist Church called on everyone concerned to "act justly, love mercy and walk humbly" with God.

"We who are clergy are sadden by violence and stand today to call for community unity," he said. "We recognize our common humanity and ask each person to hold ourselves to the highest level of accountability, including police and all our residents."

Deutsch said the group acknowledged a "deeply rooted trauma and distress based on history and recent events."

"We encourage all to reject hatred and all forms of violence and encourage all to become part of the solution," he said.

Trentan Nace, left, and Marquell Rentas (submitted)

Police have arrested Marquell Rentas, 17, of Walnut Street in Columbia, and charged him with attempting to shoot and kill four police officers in Columbia early Friday morning. A second man, Trenton Nace, 18, of Lancaster Avenue in Columbia, has been charged with helping Rentas carry out the shootings.

Law enforcement authorities said that after being taken into custody, Rentas said: "I was shooting at you, F-you, police."

During a press conference on Saturday, Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman said Nace was handing bullets to Rentas and picking up the spent shell casings. Nace told investigators that Rentas repeatedly said "F-them" as he was firing at the responding officers, Stedman said.

On Tuesday, standing with the group of leaders outside Mt. Zion AME Church , Blanding Watson, president Lancaster County NAACP, denounced violence against police as well as excessive police aggression.

"When a community is disrupted by events like these it's important that we come together and stand together and work together," he said.

Watson read a statement from the NAACP calling for the safeguard of rights of victims as well as suspects. He said he was thankful that no one was harmed in the non-fatal shooting and offered thanks to Columbia police for "resolving the incident" without further violence.

"This was a situation that could have gone very wrong," Watson said. "The violence and trauma that goes with it is like an earthquake. It has epicenter but can spread and traumatize an entire community."

He said the NAACP condemned violence against police "wherever it happens" as well as police misconduct.

"We reject the false choice that says we cannot do both, that we cannot stand with police officers and the community," Watson said. "The NAACP takes only one side - justice."

Watson called for continued support and collaboration between faith and community leaders and law enforcement and called on them to move forward to improve relationships.

The incident on Friday morning unfolded after police officers were called to the area of the 100 block of Bethel Street just before 3:30 a.m. after receiving a call about shots fired. More than a half dozen shots were fired at officers responding to the scene. No injuries were reported.