Pastor Tony Spell Arrested on Battery Charge After Altercation with Neighbor’s Son
- Lynn Matthews
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
🚨 STORY UPDATE – June 23, 2026 (9:15 PM)
This article has been updated to include details on Louisiana’s newly enacted Act 379, which creates stronger legal protections for churches and may directly apply to the long-running harassment claims in this case.
Central, LA (June 23, 2026) — Rev. Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with second-degree battery following a physical altercation with the adult son of a longtime neighbor across Hooper Road.
According to the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred around 10–11 a.m. when Spell crossed Hooper Road from church property and assaulted a 20-year-old man standing near his family’s home. The victim told deputies he had yelled profanity at Spell before the pastor allegedly ran across the road, struck him, threw him to the ground, and continued hitting him. The young man required medical treatment, including stitches and evaluation for a possible broken orbital bone.
Surveillance video from the neighbor’s property was turned over to deputies and reviewed as part of the investigation. Spell was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He declined to make a statement without an attorney present.
Church Side: Years of Harassment and Threats
Supporters of Pastor Spell and the church paint a very different picture, describing the incident as the breaking point after more than five years of ongoing harassment by the neighbor’s family.
Woody Jenkins of Central City News reported that the neighbor has repeatedly threatened members of the congregation, including shouting racial slurs at Black churchgoers and making graphic rape threats. In the past two weeks alone, the neighbor allegedly threatened to rape an eight-year-old Black girl in the congregation. On the morning of the incident, the neighbor’s son reportedly shouted that he was going to rape Spell’s wife (while Spell was out of town) and his grandchildren.
“Many of these incidents have been reported to the Central Police, but have resulted in no arrests of the perpetrators,” Jenkins wrote. “Instead, Pastor Spell has been hauled to the East Baton Rouge Parish prison.”Church members say this is part of a long pattern of vulgar gestures, obscene shouting, and intimidation directed at the Pentecostal congregation.
Neighbor’s Account and Law Enforcement Response
The Sherwin family has long complained about noise and activities at the church. In the immediate incident, their side maintains that the 20-year-old simply yelled profanity at Spell, after which the pastor crossed a four-lane highway to attack him.
East Baton Rouge Parish deputies responded to the scene, reviewed available video evidence, and arrested Spell based on probable cause for second-degree battery.
Ongoing Feud
The confrontation is the latest chapter in a years-long feud between Life Tabernacle Church and the Sherwin family living directly across Hooper Road. Tensions have been high since at least 2020, when the church gained national attention for defying COVID-19 gathering restrictions.
Both sides have made numerous complaints to police over the years with limited results until today’s arrest.
What’s Next
Spell is expected to make his first court appearance in the coming days. The case will likely hinge on the full surveillance video, witness statements, and whether Spell can successfully argue self-defense or defense of others given the history of alleged threats.
Wecu News will continue to follow this developing local story and provide updates as more information, including any additional video footage or court records, becomes available.
New Louisiana Law Could Apply to Church Harassment
This incident occurred shortly after Louisiana lawmakers passed and Governor Jeff Landry signed Act 379 (Senate Bill 306), which creates a new crime called “Obstruction of the freedom of worship in a church or other place of worship.”
The law makes it illegal to use threats, force, physical obstruction, or disruptive behavior to interfere with a person’s right to attend or participate in religious services. It includes enhanced penalties and allows churches and congregants to pursue civil damages.
Supporters of Pastor Spell argue that many of the alleged actions by the neighbor over the past five years — including repeated rape threats, racial slurs, and interference with access to the church — would now violate this specific statute.
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