(The Center Square) – Pastor Mark Anthony “Tony” Spell, leader of Life Tabernacle Church in Central, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of second-degree battery after authorities said he attacked a man who lives across from the church.
According to reports, surveillance video captured Spell crossing Hooper Road and engaging in a physical altercation with the neighbor. The footage shows both men exchanging punches and Spell striking the man while on the ground. The victim was treated at a hospital for injuries.
The arrest is the latest chapter in a series of legal battles involving Spell, who gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic when he held large church services during a time of state restrictions on public gatherings.
In 2020, Central police issued Spell six misdemeanor summonses for violating Gov. John Bel Edwards’ emergency orders limiting crowd sizes during the pandemic. He was also arrested that year on an aggravated assault charge after authorities say he backed a church bus toward a protester outside Life Tabernacle Church.
Spell challenged the state’s pandemic restrictions in both state and federal courts. In 2022, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the state’s COVID-19 restrictions on church attendance were unconstitutionally applied to Spell and Life Tabernacle Church, finding they violated religious liberty protections.
His federal lawsuit against Edwards, Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux continued for several years. However, federal courts ultimately dismissed the claims for damages and ruled the requests for injunctive relief were moot because the COVID-19 restrictions had expired. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit affirmed the dismissal in 2023.
Spell returned to church services after posting bond Tuesday night.
