Controversial Louisiana Pastor Arrested For Allegedly Backing Church Bus Into Protester

Tony Spell, the controversial pastor at Life Tabernacle Church in Louisiana, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly backing a church bus into a protester outside the church. It’s the latest in a series of legal problems Spell has faced by actively defying orders against large gatherings to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Spell was booked at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

The incident occurred on Sunday outside the Life Tabernacle Church in Central, Louisiana. Security footage from a neighboring building showed the protester, identified as resident Trey Bennett, outside the church as the bus begins to back up. It continues to back up until stopping short from hitting the protester, who appears to make no effort to get out of the way.

“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,” Bennett told Baton Rouge's CBS-affiliate WAFB.

“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.”

Bennett said he was almost hit by another driver, who began pulling off the road before parking in the church’s lot. Police have issued a warrant for the driver, whose name has not been released.

Spell told WAFB that he was driving the bus at the time and was going out to pick up children that were hungry because of the state’s “sinister policy” closing schools during the pandemic. However, he said his wife ultimately talked him out of it while they were on the bus.

“That man has been in front of my church driveway for three weeks now. He shoots people obscene finger gestures and shouts vulgarities,” Spell said. “I was going to approach this gentleman and ask him to leave.”

Bennett pushed back, saying he hasn’t been vulgar with anyone and has been protesting peacefully since Easter.

His protests are in response to Spell continuing to hold congregations at the church in violation of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ shelter-in-place order. Spell has already faced multiple misdemeanor charges from the Central Police Department for violating the order that prohibits gatherings of 10 or more people.

Spell has also faced backlash for asking people to donate their CARES Act stimulus checks to the Life Tabernacle Church or other evangelist churches.

“This is a challenge,” Spell told CNN. “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.”