WATCH: Louisiana Pastor Beats Down Man Who Threatened to Rape & Kill His Wife, Grandchildren

New viral footage shows a Louisiana pastor beating up a man who threatened to rape and kill his wife and grandchildren, according to reports.

Pastor Tony Spell from Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge was arrested Tuesday and charged with second-degree battery after beating a 20-year-old man who lives across the street from the church.

According to Pastor Spell, the neighbor told him, “I’m going to rape your wife. I’m going to rape your children, and the next time you’re out of town, I’m going to kill them. Now what are you going to do about it?”

After being bonded out, Spell immediately went to his church and cited scripture.

“In my name, they shall lay hands on the sick. And they shall recover,” said Spell. “So today, I fulfilled the scripture. I laid hands on the sick. I don’t know how much recovery they’re going to have, but I laid hands on the sick.”

 Spell spoke to the press about his battery arrest during a news conference on Wednesday:

WAFB reported:

Speaking from the Life Tabernacle Church, where he serves as faith leader, Pastor Spell repeated the alleged threats he says the neighbor hurled at his family.

Pastor Spell said the neighbor told him, “I’m going to rape your wife. I’m going to rape your children, and the next time you’re out of town, I’m going to kill them. Now what are you going to do about it?”

Church members also alleged the neighbor had bullied and yelled insults at them, which included racial slurs.

According to a source with the Central Police Department, Spell’s claims and complaints have not been fully investigated. Sources tell WAFB that police have only received one incident report involving Spell’s family and the neighbors.

In his first church service after being released from East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, Pastor Tony Spell spoke from the pulpit, alluding to the confrontation as “domestic terrorism.”

Pastor Tony Spell was arrested for second-degree battery on Tuesday, June 23, accused of attacking a 20-year-old man who lives across the street from the church.

Pastor Spell bonded out and went straight to his church.

Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran released the following statement:

The Central Police Department has received calls, messages, and comments regarding the June 23, 2026, incident on Hooper Road and investigated by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. 

The Central Police Department was not involved in that investigation, which resulted in the arrest of Pastor Tony Spell for Second Degree Battery. The investigation and arrest decision in that incident were handled by the Sheriff’s Office.

Allegations that the Central Police Department has failed to investigate complaints lodged by Pastor or Mrs. Spell are untrue. Our records reflect only 5 incidents involving Pastor or Mrs. Spell in the past 4 years, and only one of those involved a complaint against their neighbors. All calls to our department are recorded, and all persons who visit our department to make in-person complaints are captured on video. If dates and times complaints were allegedly made are provided to me, I will order an audit of our systems to investigate any claim of a failure to investigate.

For many years, and to this day, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office has served as the primary law enforcement agency for incidents like this. We will work to support the Sheriff’s Office, should our assistance be requested, as it continues to conduct its investigation.  The safety of our citizens is, and will always remain, my top priority.Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran