Controversial pastor Tony Spell shows off ankle monitor as he preaches to packed Sunday church service in defiance of Louisiana stay-at-home order despite being on house arrest for 'trying to reverse a bus over a protester'
- Tony Spell, leader of Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, held a packed Sunday service
- Although more than 50 people were there, Spell said the church was practicing social distancing, saying: 'If you ain't from the same house don't touch'
- Video shows attendees standing close together and few wearing face masks
- Spell also flouted his house arrest, at one point lifting up his pant leg and showing off his ankle monitor, declaring: 'We're not hiding any more'
- On Tuesday, Spell was arrested for assault for 'trying to reverse a bus over a protester'
- Spell seemed riled up for Sunday's service, declaring: 'If you ain't afraid, this is a free country. Do what you [inaudible]'
- Spell has been continuing to hold church services amid Covid-19, despite Louisiana's stay-at-home order
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Controversial pastor Tony Spell has defied Louisiana's stay-at-home order by going ahead with his Sunday service and falsely proclaiming the congregation was following social distancing rules, video from the packed church shows.
The defiant pastor also flouted his house arrest and at one point, he lifted up his pant leg to show off his ankle monitor, declaring: 'We're not hiding any more.'
On Tuesday, Spell was arrested for assault after he admitted he drove his church bus toward a man who had been protesting his decision to continue holding mass gatherings at his church in defiance of the state's coronavirus lockdown.
He was put on house arrest after posting bail, flashing a peace sign when walking out of jail to thunderous applause from his supporters.
On Sunday, his congregation showed up for him in full force at the Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, waving signs, whooping and hollering in agreement and some furiously shaking tambourines.
Although more than 50 people were inside the church, all standing close together and very few wearing face masks, Spell said the church was practicing social distancing, saying: 'If you ain't from the same house don't touch.'
The defiant reverend also flouted his house arrest and at one point he lifted up his pant leg to show off his ankle monitor, declaring: 'We're not hiding any more. He went on to prop his leg up on a speaker and gave his ankle monitor a shake, adding: 'It's a dirty rotten shame when you have to hide in America'
On Sunday, his congregation showed up for him in full force at the Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, whooping and hollering in agreement as some furiously shook tambourines
Although more than 50 people were inside the church, all standing close together and very few wearing face masks, Spell said the church was practicing social distancing, saying: 'If you ain't from the same house don't touch'
On Tuesday, Spell was arrested for assault after he admitted he drove his church bus toward a man who had been protesting his decision to continue holding mass gatherings at his church in defiance of the state's coronavirus lockdown
Safe social distancing measures include staying six feet apart from other people, not gathering in groups and avoiding mass gatherings, according to the CDC.
Spell seemed riled up for Sunday's service, declaring: 'If you ain't afraid, this is a free country. Do what you [inaudible].'
He went on to prop his leg up on a speaker and gave his ankle monitor a shake, adding: 'It's a dirty rotten shame when you have to hide in America.'
Spell held the pose for a moment longer as a member of the congregation took a photo of him showing off the monitor.
On Tuesday, the police department in Central, a suburb of the capital of Baton Rouge, said on a posting on their Facebook page that Spell turned himself into the department.
Video shot by the station WAFB at around 10am shows Spell, dressed in a suit and tie, with his hair slicked back, being surrounded by officers wearing face masks and placed in handcuffs.
Spell is heard on the recording complaining after his Bible was taken away from him during the arrest.
'My rights to have church and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ are endowed to me by my creator, not my district attorney, not my chief of police and not my governor, John Bel Edwards,' Spell said after exiting the jail on Tuesday afternoon.
'Not my president and not my Department of Justice.'
He went on: 'my inalienable rights are given to me by God and those rights are my rights to assemble and have church. I cannot give up those rights.'
A defiant Spell exited the jail flashing the 'V' sign for victory after posting bail. He was arrested Tuesday morning on an aggravated assault charge
Spell claimed that he preached to his fellow inmates inside the jail and warned guards that if they used profanities, he would quote scriptures.
The pastor denied any wrongdoing, saying, 'the only thing I'm guilty of is practicing my faith.'
Spell wrapped up his impromptu speech by announcing his plan to resume preaching at his church tonight at 7.30pm.
'Thank God for my church who stands with me today,' he said.
Before Spell was released, one Spell supporter shouted defiantly at Trey Bennett, the protester Spell is accused of assaulting. Bennett also showed up at the jail, carrying his protest sign. It says 'Close this church' on one side and 'Danger: coronavirus incubator' on the other.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office later released Spell's booking photo, which shows the cleric with a slight smile on his face.
Spell was taken to the East Baton Rouge Parish prison, where about 70 of his parishioners, dressed in their Sunday best, arrived in church buses to show support.
Men in jackets and ties, women in dresses and children, some in matching outfits, gathered in a parking lot across the street. They stood close to each other, praying and singing hymns while guards, some wearing protective masks watched.
Shaye Spell, the pastor's wife, flashes bail money towards waiting congregants outside the East Baton Rouge Parish jail in Baton Rouge Tuesday
Members of the Life Tabernacle Church sing spiritual songs and hold their hands in the air as they wait for pastor Tony Spell to leave the East Baton Rouge Parish jail
About 70 parishioners, dressed in their Sunday best, arrived in church buses to show support
Families, including children in matching outfits, huddled in the parking lot, praying and singing hymns, without a face covering in sight
Protestor Trey Bennett holds a sign towards members of the Life Tabernacle Church waiting outside the East Baton Rouge Parish jail for Pastor Tony Spell to post bond
Spell clutched what appears to be a copy of the Bible as he walked with confidence past news reporters toward his church bus after leaving jail
Spell eventually walked out of the jail flashing the 'V' for victory sign to applause from his supporters, after his wife entered the jail flashing a cash fan that had been delivered by someone in a car. Online booking records indicate bail was set at $5,000.
'Our church will never close, you get that?' the man yelled.
Earlier Tuesday, Debbie Dougherty, administrative assistant to the chief at the Central Police Department said Spell had driven a church bus in reverse in the direction of the sign-holding protester.
Spell already faces misdemeanor charges for holding in-person church services despite the ban on gatherings.
Authorities have said they did not book him into jail previously because they did not want to add to the jail population at a time when the highly infectious disease is running rampant. They have not taken any action to close his church.
Parishioner Nathan Boyce Thomas also faces charges of aggravated assault and reckless operation of a vehicle after being seen on video driving his white pickup truck to within about a foot of where protester Trey Bennett was standing at the road side.
Police said Thomas drove at a high rate of speed, then braked just before turning into the church parking lot. Dougherty said Thomas also planned to turn himself in later Tuesday.
This video shot by WAFB shows the moment Spell turned himself in Tuesday morning and was handcuffed by officers
The pastor showed up at the police headquarters wearing a suit and tie, with his hair slicked back, but without a face covering
Bennett has kept up a one-man demonstration in front of the church near the capital of Baton Rouge since Easter Sunday, when he noticed hundreds of parishioners still attending services after the state's stay-at-home mandate went into effect.
The mandate bans gatherings of more than ten people. Houses of worship across the state have turned to online services instead.
Bennett, whose signs say 'Close this Church' and 'Danger - Coronavirus Incubator,' said he was used to getting scowls and verbal jabs from parishioners, but was 'shocked' to see vehicles being driven at him.
Videos of the two incidents on April 19 were obtained and reviewed by The Associated Press. One shows the church bus making a sharp turn and then backing in the opposite direction of traffic on the shoulder to within a few feet of Bennett before coming to a stop.
Another shows a white pickup truck swerving out of its lane and onto the shoulder within about a foot of Bennett's body.
Spell acknowledged in a telephone interview with WAFB-TV on Monday that he was driving the bus. He said he just wanted to get out and confront the protester, but his wife talked him out of it.
A seven-second clip posted on social media shows the large white bus reversing at some speed towards a seemingly oblivious member of the public. The bus appears to stop mere feet away from Bennett.
Bus loads of congregants arrived at Spell's Life Tabernacle Church before an Easter church service on Sunday
Spell talks to the media as he drives a bus of congregants from Life Tabernacle Church after Easter church services on April 12 in Central, Louisiana
The lone picketer told WAFB: 'At first I thought he [Spell] was just turning around his bus and was going to pull away, but he just kept coming in reverse. I could see him [Spell] driving the bus.
'He was honking his horn loudly at me and making gestures suggesting he was yelling while he was driving. It didn’t seem real until it was physically in my face with a bus.'
On Monday, Spell told WAFB in a phone interview: '[Bennett] has been in front of my church driveway for three weeks now. He shoots people obscene finger gestures and shouts vulgarities,' though Bennett denies the allegations.
Earlier this month, Bennett told local news outlet BR Proud: 'I think gathering in this large of a group it's just incubating the coronavirus. These people are coming from five different parishes people that live near me go to this church and I don't want to get coronavirus.
'I know people have the right to assemble and normally the freedom of religion but right now it's imperative we don't.'
The controversial leader of the Life Tabernacle Church in Louisiana has faced intense criticism after repeatedly breaking lockdown rules and holding church services, going against stay-at-home orders issued by Governor John Bel Edwards.
And although one member of his congregation died from COVID-19 – a diagnosis Spell has denied - the religious leader went ahead with his service as usual on Sunday and announced day one of the #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge.
More than 300,000 have watched him online urging them to claim their $1,200 payouts and give it to a missionary.
Spell has come under fire for repeatedly holding services at his Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge despite Louisiana's stay-at-home order to stop the spread of coronavirus. Churchgoers are pictured above after a sermon on March 29
A video clip shows him saying: 'Rule no.2, donate your stimulus money. Rule no.3 donate it to evangelists, north American evangelists who haven't had an offering in a month. Missionaries who haven't had an offering in a month. Music ministers who haven't had an offering in a month.'
He added: 'We are challenging you, if you can, (to) give your stimulus package to evangelists and missionaries who do not get the stimulus package. They don't file taxes the way you and I do.'
He has defended his decision to ask parishioners to give up their unemployment checks.
A video posted on YouTube clocked up thousands of comments, with some asking whether Spell's church should be using regular donations to help missionaries. He defended his reactions in an interview with CNN saying the church is giving to those who are most needy.
The Sunday service went ahead despite the recent death of one of the Chuch's parishioners from Covid-19.
Harold Orillion, 78, died last Wednesday, according to The East Baton Rouge Parish coroner.
The man's cause of death was listed as 'acute respiratory distress syndrome' due to the coronavirus.
Pastor Spell disputed the cause of death, saying he died of a broken heart after recently losing his son. The pastor has previously said his parishioners are true Christians who wouldn't mind dying from the virus because they'd be doing so in the name of God and freedom.
It's unclear when the man last attended a service at Spell's church.
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