Pastor facing arrest warrant for allegedly backing his church bus toward a protester over coronavirus
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A megachurch pastor in Louisiana who has defied stay-at-home orders intended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by holding large worship services is facing criminal charges for driving a church bus backward toward a protester outside the church, authorities said Monday.
Pastor Tony Spell has drawn nationwide attention for continuing to hold services attended by hundreds of people at his Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, despite facing six misdemeanor charges in March for violating orders from Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) that limited mass gatherings.
Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran said police have a warrant for Spell's arrest. He is wanted on a charge of aggravated assault related to the bus incident, which took place Sunday. According to Corcoran, Spell was driving a bus and backed it up on the shoulder of the road, stopping the vehicle within a few feet of a protester. A parishioner is also facing charges for swerving his car toward a protester. No one was hurt in either incident.
"He was trying to intimidate the protester," Corcoran said. He said police reviewed video of the incident, which local television outlets aired.
Spell wrote in a text message that he would not surrender and that authorities would have to take him out of his church. A bus driver as well as a pastor, Spell said he had just finished dropping off church members before his encounter with the protester.
"I approached a man who verbally assaulted my wife and little girls. He's a crotch-grabbing, middle-finger using against my church ladies," Spell wrote in a text message. "What would you do to a man like that?"
Spell said that he has reported the protester to the police every day for 36 days but that police have not responded to his complaints. He said he stopped the bus "because it was a waste of time."
"This is the proudest day of my life to be persecuted for the faith," he wrote in a text message.
When asked whether he considered Sunday's incident to be an act of faith, he suggested he would block a Washington Post reporter on his phone.
Corcoran said the lawyer representing Spell has been hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms, and a member of his congregation has died of complications from the virus. Spell's legal team also includes former Alabama chief justice Roy Moore.
The vast majority of churches nationwide have stopped holding in-person services since state and federal guidelines have prevented mass gatherings. But some churches have continued to meet, with some gatherings exacerbating outbreaks in states across the country.
Spell's Life Tabernacle Church is a Pentecostal church that teaches in signs of the Holy Spirit, such as healing and speaking in tongues. He previously told The Post that his church could not easily transition to online services.
"We're a Pentecostal denomination, and when we gather and pray, the Holy Ghost comes in the midst. There are healings, signs, wonders, some things done together in the church that can't be done in a live stream," he said.
Spell has also directed his parishioners to donate their stimulus checks through his website to ministers, evangelists and missionaries.
Corcoran said the church is the only one in the area that he's aware of that has defied the governor's orders.
"He has said that he has healed HIV, he's healed cancer, he's asked people with coronavirus to come to his church where he can heal them," Corcoran said. "He can't do that. It's a huge health risk."
Corcoran said that Spell has spoken with Tony Perkins, head of the conservative Christian advocacy group Family Research Council, and agreed to abide by the governor's rules but has not.
"He's trying to hide behind the First Amendment," Corcoran said. "No one has asked him not to preach the word or preach a service. We just ask that he adhere to the order that was given by the governor and the president, put it on social media or FaceTime like the other churches, but he's refused to do that."
Vice President Pence has explicitly asked Americans to avoid worship services, though measures to limit gatherings have set off legal battles across the country as some churches have sued over the issue. A federal court in Kansas issued a temporary restraining order Saturday against the governor's order capping church gatherings at 10 people.
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This idiot is insane and a danger.
Now he is telling people to donate their stimulus checks.
.. or no parking on protester signs?
an old friend Spell has a lot in common with...
yeah, I guess that could make child molestation a lot more difficult...
... and still be able to get paid for it.
... another self righteous cross climber called to save lost souls in the big house, in between private "ministry sessions" in many assorted cells of course...
I guess God does not come through in technology.
That, or the pastor forgot his Paypal password.
the internet is a tool of satan!
painting all those old school buses white sure cut down the number of his potential victims
OMG!
You mean he backed up “towards” the protestors.
Oh the humanity!
Did you read the article?
He hopped the curb and aimed at him.
Then why didn’t he hit him if he had intended to?
Sounds like he easily could have.
not sure he hopped a curb but looks like he backed onto the shoulder and he's lucky he didn't hit him by engaging in something rather dumb - the agitator must have pressed the right buttons..
Considering he now has an arrest warrant I would say they thought it was enough.
Considering he thinks he cured people from HIV he may think the hand of God is directing him...
Unfortunately for the triggered, it’s still innocent until proven guilty.
I’m sure the snowflake protestor involved didn’t melt.
May be. Didn't indicate how fast he was going so I would wager he was playing a dumb game and those can win dumb prizes. Shouldn't be driving a bus if he's not going to be responsible in any case.
So an arrest warrant and it being on video is not enough for you to actually condemn what he has done.
Instead you try to place blame on the person his ire was directed at.
Now who is the snowflake?
Why are you defending this?
Agree.
Unlike others here I'm not defending or blaming anyone. Just pointing out the obvious.
That you think he did nothing wrong and people are being triggered snowflakes?
Is that your obvious conclusion?
If all you all have is semantics...
Unbelievable that you all, cannot even begin to condemn this man.
Instead talk about what I have said.
Stop trying to put words in my mouth please.
Less emotion, more reason please.
You can try to play word games all you want, does not change the fact that you have not once said he would have been in the wrong and only went after the ones that have come out against his actions.
Yawn .... nope, I’m not playing any word games either. That said I’ll move along and let you rail away endlessly on this one.
Sounds like it is very emotional for you.
The only overly emotion around here is some peoples lack of.
That's assault. Could be considered assault with a deadly weapon. Is that something we should take lightly? Should threatening to hit someone with a bus be considered a joke?
Should the ability to not feel threatened and easily move out of the way be considered an impossible feat? Nope, not at all
This stinks like a set up by the triggered to me.
And this dumbass was stupid enough to fall for it ..... kinda.
So anybody who wants to drive into a bunch of "Liberate" protesters should be excused so long as those folks have time to jump out of the way, yes? I mean, being there, protesting, is setting somebody up to drive a car over top of them, right?
So you are going to blame the victim and not the man driving the bus.
So I can swerve at people, back up and aim at people and it is not my fault because they should be able to jump out of the way?
Again, why are you defending him and acting like he did nothing wrong?
Oh, is that what this was?
Well then, no problem. They should be able convict him, sentence him and throw away the key for such a heinous act.
Time will tell.
Again, unlike you I’m not defending anyone.
No, just giving excuses...
Nope, not doing that either. Do you have anything factual to say or do you only have false allegations and over emotional rationalizations to offer.
I have written word that anyone can see.
Yes and so do I.
Later
...So you are going to blame the victim and not the man driving the bus.
Why should this be anything different than how they treat rape victims....?
According to Corcoran, Spell was driving a bus and backed it up on the shoulder of the road, stopping the vehicle within a few feet of a protester.
...is what I read. Is that you, Buzz?
And another time intentionally swerved his car in their direction.
How many times does it take until something really happens?
Why are you going to defend what he is doing?
NO
"A parishioner is also facing charges for swerving his car toward a protester. No one was hurt in either incident."
Two different people - two different events.
The preacher is a dick for many reasons - all unrelated to the driving skills of the topic.
Yet that is what his arrest warrant is for. So yes, related to driving.
My bad on the other vehicle. Monkey see monkey do I guess.
Then you made that part up.
So he intentionally went onto the shoulder of the road.
I don't care what you say about me or what I said. It is basically the same thing. You are doing nothing but trying to take away from what he did.
One would think you condone it.
Jeez. What would the response be by some if the protestor wore a Chinese made MAGA hat?
As far as the pastor. He's just another grifting Money Changer.
They would have had a meltdown and been screaming about it from every rooftop.
The article states that his lawyer has the virus and that one of his congregation has died from the virus.
He continues to hold services so how many of his flock have the virus and where did they catch it. It would seem to anyone responsible that he is playing with fire. If the virus spread among the congregation they, in turn, will spread it to others and on and on and on.
I'm not sure what God would say about it but I doubt that he thinks that possibly spreading a deadly disease is acceptable to his teachings.
As for the bus incident, it shows a real lack of common sense but not surprising since holding services also show the same lack of common sense.
One of his lawyers is Roy Moore. Well, there ya go.
This guy also seems more interested in their stimulus check than their health.
He is a Money Changer.
Let them cull.