Newly released video reportedly shows that a Tennessee pastor fatally shot last month was in an altercation with the woman who shot him shortly before the deadly shooting.
Ricky Floyd, the late senior lead pastor of Pursuit of God Church in Frayser, was killed on March 12, according to a statement from police. Samantha Marion was arrested following the incident and charged with voluntary manslaughter.
Marion’s lawyer, John Keith Perry, told local news outlet WREG that Marion shot and killed the pastor in self-defense. Perry claims the video, which shows only part of the confrontation, is evidence of this.
Prosecutors argued otherwise, telling Fox 13 that Marion went to her car, got a gun, and returned to the confrontation prior to the shooting.
The video was recorded by Marion on her cell phone outside of Momma’s Bar and Grill in Memphis, Perry said.
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Prior to the video, Perry said Marion had been meeting with a man identified as Steven Newsom at the bar. Floyd had also been sitting close by to them.
Marion and Floyd then got into a heated discussion over the Bible, Perry claimed. Marion had never met Floyd prior to this.
“Reverend Floyd evidently had some, I call them tracts . . . that are of a religious nature, and passes them to the people that are at the bar,” Perry told WREG. “We are also told the argument centered around how Floyd could tell anyone anything when he, a pastor, was at this bar and grill at 1 a.m.”
The argument then moved outside the bar. Newsom moved to stand between Floyd and Marion, the attorney said. The pastor then allegedly knocked Newsom to the ground.
Memphis police told Fox 13 that the pastor got in his car to drive away at this point. As he did, Marion walks into the roadway and pulled out her phone to record Floyd’s vehicle. Floyd then stopped the car and got out of it.
In the video, Floyd can be seen exiting a white Chevy Tahoe and walking towards Marion, while she records the confrontation.
Marion starts to tell Floyd, “I’m backing back three times now. When I do that, you know. Back the —- up. Back the —– up. Back the —- up.”
Floyd continues to approach her. The video then becomes shaky, and it’s unclear what’s happening as the video suddenly cuts off.
Video of Altercation
WARNING: Some viewers may find this video upsetting.
“She has been nothing but a good citizen for years,” Perry told Action News 5. “She defended herself when she was facing grave, grave danger. And because of that, she is hurled into the criminal justice system, hopefully for a short period of time.”
Dr. Telisa Franklin, the media liaison for Floyd’s family, told Action News 5 that the truth will win in this case.
“We are deeply troubled to learn of this video concerning the incident involving our beloved pastor,” Franklin told the publication last week. “You know, this is the first day our family has been made aware of any footage, and we’re still processing the unexpected revelation, to be honest.”
Franklin continued, “And so we don’t know what happened. But I will tell you this, he was a born believer in Jesus Christ and that is what I know without a shadow of a doubt.”
en un declaración, Franklin confirmed that Floyd and Marion were “complete strangers” to each other prior to the incident.
Marion is currently out of jail on a $100,000 bond, according to registros de la corte. Her next hearing is set for April 2.
Community Mourns Loss of Floyd
The Memphis community has been mourning the loss of the pastor.
“It is with great sadness that I address the tragic loss of Pastor Ricky Floyd from the Pursuit of God Church in Frayser,” Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said in a declaración after the shooting. “Pastor Floyd was a respected leader in our community, both in Memphis and beyond.
We understand the deep shock and grief this has caused, and our hearts go out to Pastor Floyd’s family, his congregation, and all who knew him.”
Franklin descrito the pastor as a “beloved husband, pastor, community leader, father, and son.”
She added, “His unwavering dedication to our community and his profound impact on the lives of those he touched will be remembered and cherished.”
Outside of his work as a pastor, Floyd was involved in several community projects, according to the Pursuit of God Church’s sitio web.
He served as the president of the Eden Estates Apartments, a 52-unit complex in the Frayser community. He also served as president of The Husband Institute, Inc., a boys-to-men mentoring program, and founded the School of Marriage Enhancement.
Floyd also led the Salvation Revelation Ministries, which provided “disciple and leadership development,” the church’s website said.
Floyd leaves behind his wife, Sheila, three adult children, one daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters, the website adds.
His funeral has been set for March 28, the Pursuit of God Church said En facebook.
Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.
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8 Responses
Another narcissist pastor. So shocking.
To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
What an awful tragedy that left a good man dead and a good woman facing serious criminal charges. As someone who used to be in Christian ministry, I can’t help wondering what Pastor Floyd was expecting to accomplish sitting at a bar, by himself, late at night, handing out religious tracts to people he didn’t know. Some will say that sounds like I am blaming the victim. I’m not; NO ONE deserves to be shot for sitting at a bar late at night handing out tracts and arguing with strangers. But as a minister, I was taught to live my life “above reproach” and, for my own well-being, make every effort to avoid putting myself in potentially compromising situations such as sitting alone in a bar at 1:30 am, having religion-based conversations, and arguing with people I didn’t know. Isn’t this whole scenario a cautionary tale for everyone, but especially people who are in Christian ministries?
He wasn’t shot for sitting at a bar handing out religious tracts. He was, allegedly based upon the video, shot for continuing to move forward in a threatening manner towards a woman who was initially BACKING AWAY from him.
Should American Christians be so much in love with their second amendment? Something like this could never happen in Canada, Europe, etc. Time for Christians to reorient their priorities.
How do you know that the alleged shooter is a believer? Nothing in this article indicates that she is.
I do not believe he “deserved” to be shot, but he certainly was the aggressor here, and she has a strong case for self defense. I hope her lawyer uses it well. I abhor guns, but I be she was thankful she had one to protect herself from this “pastor”.
no “christian love” like agressively attacking a woman in a parking lot after provoking arguments in a bar.
I hope the lab obtained several vials of blood for testing from Pator Floyd because his eyes appear as though he is under the influence. Why on earth would a pastor be a the bar at 01:00am??? it’s absurd he was sharing tracks dong evangelism at a night club, at the ridiculous time of night. He should have been home with his family.