Megachurch Pastor Creflo Dollar was arrested on Friday, June 8 for battery charges after prohibiting his daughter from late-night partying.
Dollar's 15-year-old daughter made a 911 call accusing him of
punching her in the face and choking her. She reported to the Fayette County
Police that the domestic abuse occurred after Dollar denied her attendance to a
party taking place on Saturday.
Dollar's 19-year-old daughter confirmed her younger sister's story. Dollar's wife however, did not witness the incident.
According to the Christian Post, Dollar reportedly admitted to spanking his daughter after she became disrespectful with him. He claims that she hit him first, at which point he spanked her behind her legs and they struggled to the ground.
He confessed that she was not choked and the scar on her neck was the result of eczema.
Dollar, 50, was fully supported by his congregation as he spoke
on the matter on Sunday.
Dollar is known as a successful African-American preacher and
televangelist based in College Park, Georgia. His church, World Changers Church
International, seats over 8,000 people.
"Like all of us who are parents [know], there are times when
discipline and training our kids can become pretty intense," said Dollar. "The
truth is that a family conversation with our youngest daughter got emotional,
emotions got involved, and things escalated from there."
He further emphasized that he should've never been arrested and that the media is over exaggerating and sensationalizing the incident.
Dollar was released on $5,000 bail from the Fayette County Police Department on Friday, June 8.