Arrest Warrant Issued For Pastor Who Almost Hit Protester With His Church Bus

A pastor from Louisiana, known for his anti-social distancing sentiments, was issued an arrest warrant Monday after he allegedly almost hit a protester when he backed the church bus.

Tony Spell, the Louisiana pastor, will be charged with aggravated assault because of the bus incident that transpired Sunday, right in front of the Life Tabernacle Church, as per NBCNews. He backed the bus too close to a protester, and it was all caught on tape, as revealed by the Central police near Baton Rouge.

Defying Social Distancing

Despite the warnings and the announcement of Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards banning gatherings of more than 50 people, Spell has been defiant. Edwards imposed the restrictions to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, which has already infected hundreds of thousands of Americans all across the United States.

Joseph Long, the counsel of Spell, said that the pastor would be vindicated. He emphasized that in the video, the pastor did not attempt to run over the protestor. He further added that since the protestor did not move when the bus came near, the protester did not display that he felt threatened.

Aside from Long, a 59-year-old attorney, Jeff Wittenbrink had also worked for the pastor. As per reports, Wittenbrink was reportedly hospitalized because of COVID-19.

According to Corcoran, the authorities are not denying the freedom of Spell to practice his religion as no one is trying to stop him from preaching. Corcoran also said that the authorities are just trying to enforce the law.

The Stimulus Challenge

Prior to the bus incident, Pastor Tony Spell also launched #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge, where he asked congregants to donate their government stimulus checks to missionaries, evangelists, and music ministers.

When asked during an interview by CNN's Victor Blackwell about the donation drive, he reasoned that there were some missionaries and evangelists who did not receive the stimulus checks. He also highlighted that he and his family have already donated their checks and added that those who don't have churches might be able to send in their donations through his website.

Since the warrant is already out, Spell is reportedly expected to turn himself in and be booked Tuesday.