A Louisiana pastor’s family reported ongoing harassment from their neighbor to the police several months before an alleged violent incident took place.
Shay Spell, the wife of Pastor Tony Spell, indicated that her neighbor’s son, Scott Sherwin, had been causing problems, including a time when he chased her, almost resulting in an accident. This was logged in a police report by Shea, who resides in Baton Rouge.
In a report from May, Shea detailed a March episode where Luke, Sherwin’s son, allegedly chased her with his vehicle and shouted obscenities after almost hitting her.
According to police records, Mrs. Spell expressed concern for her safety, stating she felt compelled to step forward as Luke approached.
Moreover, shortly after this first incident, she claimed Luke surged into their lane as she and Tony were leaving the driveway, further escalating their troubles.
She described a previous encounter where Luke had inappropriately touched her and swerved dangerously close to her, crossing multiple lanes of traffic.
Police have not confirmed Luke’s identity in connection to the recent altercation. However, officers had previously warned Scott Sherwin to keep his son away from Shea.
Witnesses noted that the elderly Sherwin confronted the Spells while holding a cell phone after being approached by police about the situation.
The police instructed Pastor Spell to return to his truck and cautioned Scott Sherwin to settle down. Although Sherwin appeared to make gestures towards Spell, no additional measures were taken by the authorities.
This ongoing feud between the Spell family and the Sherwins has roots that trace back to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Spell, who leads Life Tabernacle Church, took legal action against Sherwin for setting up surveillance cameras that he believed were aimed at spying on him.
He accused media and officials of monitoring him as well, filing lawsuits shortly after being charged with misdemeanors for violating pandemic restrictions.
Recently, Shay Spell accused her neighbor of moving a traffic cone to obstruct access to their church, further adding to the tension.
Pastor Spell alleged that Sherwin’s son threatened his wife and child, which he claims motivated a viral altercation where he reportedly assaulted the young man, hitting him multiple times and causing serious injury.
Spell faces charges of second-degree battery, potentially leading to a sentence of up to eight years in prison. Following his release on bail, he stood by his actions during an interview.
He recounted the menacing remarks made by Sherwin’s son, explaining that this motivated him to respond physically. Shea Spell asserted that she felt a responsibility to defend her family amidst these threats.
“I’m a husband first, a father next, and then a pastor,” Spell noted, emphasizing his commitment to protect his loved ones.
He is scheduled to appear in court on September 15th.
