路易斯安那州的牧师托尼·斯佩尔违反了他的软禁，在他上周被指控在他的生命会幕教堂外倒车撞向一名冠状病毒抗议者后，今天举行了一次教堂礼拜。
据报道，斯佩尔戴着一个脚踝监视器，提到了他的被捕，并在周日告诉他的教众，“当你躲在美国的时候，这是一种肮脏的可耻行为。” 倡导者。在冠状病毒流行期间，他故意违反路易斯安那州的家庭和社会隔离令，并谴责这些限制侵犯了他的宗教自由的第一修正案权利。
上周从教区监狱被释放后，斯佩尔被命令停止任何进一步的犯罪行为，并被告知遵守约翰·贝尔·爱德华兹州长的紧急命令。据报道，这位牧师曾计划在周日的礼拜结束后将自己变成当局，但执法部门的资源被巴吞鲁日的一场枪击事件所占据。
尽管国家努力限制冠状病毒的传播，但生命会幕教堂仍继续举行礼拜仪式。验尸官确定他的会众中有一人死于COVID-19并发症后，斯佩尔称这一发现是“谎言”还没有确定这个人是在哪里感染的病毒。
尽管国内已有数千人死于与病毒相关的疾病，但斯佩尔并未充分强调这种新型疾病的严重性，称之为政治性疾病。这些想法模仿了唐纳德·特朗普总统和他的盟友在疫情爆发初期提出的想法。
他拒绝关闭他的教堂引起了广泛的批评。上周，斯佩尔因涉嫌支持一辆教堂巴士去抗议一名男子拒绝遵守政府封锁措施而被捕。事件的安全录像显示，一辆公共汽车向特雷·班尼特倒车，他自称是抗议者。当班尼特举着一个标志时，汽车在撞到他之前停下来。
“我能看见他在开车。他对着我大声按喇叭，做着手势，暗示他在开车时大喊大叫。贝内特告诉《WAFB 9号新闻》，直到我和一辆公交车面对面时，这一切才显得真实。
中央警察局周二签发了对使用致命武器进行严重攻击的逮捕令。拼写告诉当地新闻网站，班尼特已经站在“我的教堂车道前”三个星期了。他拍摄人们淫秽的手指手势和粗鄙的叫喊。
在被保释后，斯普拉特发誓将继续无视该州的家庭训令，当天晚上就开始布道。何也宣称他是无辜的他说他并没有“犯下任何我被指控的罪行”
“我没有违抗任何命令的罪，”他说。“我唯一的罪过就是实践了耶稣基督亲自赐予我的信仰。”
新闻周刊联系生命会幕教会寻求意见。
LOUISIANA PASTOR VIOLATES HOUSE ARREST TO HOLD CHURCH SERVICE
Louisiana Pastor Tony Spell violated his house arrest to hold a church service today after he was accused last week of backing a bus toward a coronavirus protester outside his Life Tabernacle Church.
Spell wore an ankle monitor and referenced his arrest, telling his congregation on Sunday that it's a "dirty rotten shame when you're hiding in America," according to The Advocate. He purposely breached Louisiana's stay-at-home and social distancing orders amid the coronavirus pandemic and condemned the restrictions as infringement on his First Amendment right to religious freedom.
Upon his release from Parish Prison last week, Spell was ordered to refrain from any further criminal conduct and told to abide by Governor John Bel Edwards' emergency orders. The pastor had reportedly planned on turning himself into authorities after the service on Sunday, but law enforcement resources were occupied with a shooting in Baton Rouge.
The Life Tabernacle Church has continued to hold worship services despite efforts by the state to limit the coronavirus' spread. After a coroner determined that one member of his congregation had died from COVID-19 complications, Spell called the findings a "lie." It has not been determined where the man caught the virus.
Despite thousands of domestic virus-related deaths, Spell has underplayed the severity of the novel disease, calling it political. These ideas mimic those promoted by President Donald Trump and his allies in the early stages of the outbreak.
His refusal to close down his church has drawn widespread criticism. Last week, Spell was arrested for allegedly backing a church bus toward a man protesting his refusal to adhere to government lockdown measures. Security footage of the incident showed a bus backing up to Trey Bennett, who identified himself as the protester. The vehicle halts before it hits Bennett as he's holding a sign.
"I could see him 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 told WAFB 9 News.
The Central Police Department on Tuesday issued Spell with an arrest warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Spell told the local news site that Bennett had been standing "in front of my church driveway for three weeks now. He shoots people obscene finger gestures and shouts vulgarities."
After being released on bond, Spell vowed to continue ignoring the state's stay-at-home orders to preach that very evening. He also declared his innocence, saying he wasn't "guilty of any charges I have been accused of."
"I am not guilty of defying any orders," he said. "The only thing I am guilty of is practicing my faith which was given to me by Jesus Christ himself."
Newsweek reached out to the Life Tabernacle Church for comment.
