Creflo Dollar: Atlanta Megachurch Pastor Arrested for Battery
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(ATLANTA, Ga.) — Megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar is expected to preach on Sunday, in spite of a physical fight with his daughter that led to his arrest, his attorney said.
Fayette County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at Dollar’s Atlanta home around 1 a.m. Friday after they received a domestic violence call from the pastor’s 15-year-old daughter, authorities said.
The fight over whether the daughter could attend a party turned physical, authorities said.
A witness told deputies Dollar, 50, grabbed his daughter by her throat and choked her, causing a scratch on her neck, ABC News’ Atlanta affiliate WSB reported.
Dollar faces misdemeanor charges of simple battery and cruelty to children. He posted a $5,000 bond and was released Friday morning.
Dollar and his wife, Taffi, have five children.
The pastor founded his ministry in 1986. It grew from a modest first service in front of eight people to having thousands of followers in satellite churches around the country.
Dollar is known for his flashy lifestyle and for preaching a gospel of prosperity to his congregants.
“Do you know why God wants you to prosper? He has a plan for your prosperity and it involves more than just having a big house and nice cars. God’s design for prosperity is so you can be a blessing to others,” it says on Dollar’s website.
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