Louisiana authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Pastor Tony Spell, who flouted a prohibition on large gatherings by holding services that drew hundreds of followers. He is now accused of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper backing of a vehicle during the Sunday incident, a Central Police Department dispatcher told Fox News.
Spell announces that the man has been in front of his church driveway for three weeks straight as he told WAFB-TV on Monday. "He shoots people obscene finger gestures and shouts vulgarities." From his innocence, he stated, "I was pulling in from my bus route, picking up black children who haven't eaten because of this sinister policy that has closed schools. I was going to approach this gentleman and ask him to leave."
Spell was reportedly filmed backing a church bus toward a protester outside the church before stopping a few feet away from him, according to local media reports.
The protester, Trey Bennett, told the news station that he's been demonstrating outside of the church since Easter Sunday. One of his signs reads: "CAUTION: Coronavirus incubator. Do not enter. You may die."
According to the local station, Pastor Tony Spell was taken into custody at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison earlier on Tuesday after police in Central, La, issued a false warrant on Monday, accusing him of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
As he was being released, he stated, "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,"
