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Police arrest Florida pastor for holding church services despite stay-at-home order
LBN thread: Pastor arrested for violating rules amid virus outbreak
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Source: CNN
Police arrest Florida pastor for holding church services despite stay-at-home order
By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor
Updated 0054 GMT (0854 HKT) March 31, 2020
(CNN) — Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne said he wouldn't close the doors of his Tampa, Florida, megachurch until the End Times begin. The police weren't willing to wait that long.
On Monday, Florida sheriff's deputies arrested the evangelical pastor, who has continued to host large church services despite public orders urging residents to stay home to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Howard-Browne has been charged with two counts: unlawful assembly and a violation of health emergency rules. Both are second-degree misdemeanors, Chronister said at a press conference Monday.
Last week Hillsborough County issued an order directing residents to remain at home effective March 27 except for "essential services" -- including trips to the grocery store, the doctor's office and the pharmacy. The county's list of "essential services" does not include attending church.
Florida has more than 5,200 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 63 deaths, according to the state's health department.
-snip-
By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor
Updated 0054 GMT (0854 HKT) March 31, 2020
(CNN) — Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne said he wouldn't close the doors of his Tampa, Florida, megachurch until the End Times begin. The police weren't willing to wait that long.
On Monday, Florida sheriff's deputies arrested the evangelical pastor, who has continued to host large church services despite public orders urging residents to stay home to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Howard-Browne has been charged with two counts: unlawful assembly and a violation of health emergency rules. Both are second-degree misdemeanors, Chronister said at a press conference Monday.
Last week Hillsborough County issued an order directing residents to remain at home effective March 27 except for "essential services" -- including trips to the grocery store, the doctor's office and the pharmacy. The county's list of "essential services" does not include attending church.
Florida has more than 5,200 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 63 deaths, according to the state's health department.
-snip-
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/30/us/florida-pastor-arrested-river-church/index.html
This Monday, March 30, 2020, booking photo provided by the Hernando County Jail shows Rodney Howard-Browne, pastor of The River Church. Florida officials arrested the pastor of the megachurch after detectives say he held two Sunday services with hundreds of people and violated a safer-at-home order in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus. According to jail records, Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne turned himself in to authorities Monday, March 30, 2020, in Hernando County, Fla. (Hernando County Jail via AP)
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