Pastor Tony Spell is back in the headlines-and newly released police bodycam footage is adding another explosive chapter to his growing list of controversies.
Just days after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a 20-year-old neighbor, the controversial Louisiana preacher was caught on camera using a homophobic slur while threatening more violence during an early morning dispute over mowing the church lawn.
The confrontation unfolded on June 25 after neighbors called police to complain that lawn mowing at Spell's church had begun before dawn. When deputies arrived around 4:50 a.m., Spell defended the early start, saying he was simply trying to beat Louisiana's sweltering summer heat.
But the conversation quickly took a shocking turn.
Visibly frustrated that officers had responded to another complaint, Spell accused his neighbors of retaliating because of an earlier physical altercation involving the neighbor's 20-year-old son. In the bodycam footage, Spell used a homophobic slur to describe the young man before warning officers that the victim's father "is next" if he came to confront him.
The comments come just days after Spell was arrested following a violent June 23 confrontation that was captured on video. Authorities allege the pastor crossed a four-lane highway to confront the young man before the encounter turned physical.
The video appears to show Spell wrestling the 20-year-old to the ground, mounting him, repeatedly punching him in the head, pulling back his hair, and kicking him after standing up. Spell was arrested on a charge of second-degree battery, later posting a $25,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 15.
Spell has defended his actions, claiming the young man threatened to sexually assault and kill members of his family before the fight broke out.
After deputies left the June 25 incident, Spell posted a video online sharing what he described as his "early morning thoughts." In the message, he lamented that homeschooled children at his church had been exposed to vulgar language from neighbors and questioned why parents who avoid television, monitor their children's diets, and reject vaccines should have to hear such profanity.
He ended the video with a single word: "Justification."
The newly released footage has reignited criticism of the embattled pastor, whose ministry has repeatedly made national headlines over legal battles, clashes with authorities, and inflammatory public statements. With felony charges still pending, the latest controversy is likely to keep Spell firmly in the public spotlight.
