The Central Police Department warns their phone lines are clogged with out of state callers protesting the house arrest of Life Tabernacle Church Pastor Tony Spell.
The call to action was posted on a Facebook page claiming to be Magi Spell. Police Chief Roger Corcoran says it’s a dangerous stunt that could prevent people from reporting emergencies.
“911 is called and it goes to EMS and they in turn transfer it to the police department so if the phone lines are tied up they can’t get through to us and we can’t send them help,” says Corcoran.
Spell was arrested last week for allegedly trying to hit an anti-Spell protestor with a church bus and violating the ban on mass gatherings by holding multiple large church services.
Corcoran says the parents are apparently trying to leverage the harassment campaign into getting their son set free.
“His father called us yesterday and said they would take my phone number down if we would take the ankle bracelet off of our son and drop the charges. Well, that’s not our call,” says Corcoran.
The Chief adds the ankle bracelet was ordered by a local judge.
Spell says they can’t transition to social media services like most other religious organizations have, but Corcoran says this campaign disproves that claim.
“We see that they live stream every week three times a week. If they can do it that way then why the hell wouldn’t they do service with them? We’ve seen it, clearly,” says Corcoran.
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