TAMPA, Fla. — Charges were dropped Friday against the Tampa pastor who had been accused of violating a countywide "safer-at-home" order to hold a packed Sunday service on March 29 at The River at Tampa Bay Church.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister had described Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne's actions as a "reckless disregard for public safety."
He was arrested at his home on March 30, and Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren filed a pair of charges, including unlawful assembly.
Howard-Browne has been out on $500 bail ever since. But now, he won't have to return to court.
Warren stands by his belief that the arrest was "an appropriate step" to "immediately correct irresponsible behavior" during the pandemic. But, he confirms the case won't be prosecuted.
“Hillsborough County’s emergency order treats violations of social distancing as a problem to solve, much more than a person to punish," Warren explained in a statement. "Pastor Howard-Browne’s arrest accomplished the safer-at-home order’s goal, which is compliance with the law."
Since the arrest, the pastor has maintained social distancing at his church campus, and prosecutors say he has even been engaging with local leaders in a dialogue about the best path forward for his congregation.
"The State Attorney's Office has recognized that compliance and not criminal punishment is the focus of our emergency health laws," Chronister said. "Law enforcement's intervention through arrest has been rare during this health crisis, and while it remains a necessary tool to protect the health and safety of our community, we agree that further criminal sanctions are not necessary in this instance."
The pastor and his wife founded the church in 1996. He also leads Revival Ministries International.
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