Defiant Pastor Tony Spell Holds Church Services While Wearing Ankle Bracelet

Tony Spell, a Louisiana pastor who was placed under house arrest last week for repeatedly violating social distancing guidelines, held another service at his church on Sunday while wearing an ankle bracelet, The Advocate reports. Spell’s service at the Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge reportedly attracted over 100 worshippers, nearly all of whom were not wearing face masks. The controversial pastor was charged with aggravated assault last week after video footage caught him on camera backing up a bus towards a protester outside his church last Sunday. The bus reportedly stopped short from striking the man. Spell, who was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, was released on the condition that he “refrain from any and all criminal conduct, including but not limited to strictly abiding by all emergency orders issued by the Governor of the State of Louisiana,” according to The Advocate. The pastor has already been charged with six misdemeanor counts of violating the statewide order.