Pro-life Activist Accused Of Shoving 72-year-old Volunteer Awarded ‘seven Figures’ From Doj After Wrongful Arrest Lawsuit

A pro-life activistic accused of shoving a 72-year-old unpaid escort to nan ground has been awarded a seven-figure colony successful a wrongful apprehension lawsuit. ​

Mark Houck, a Pennsylvania man known for sidewalk counselling, was alleged to person assaulted nan unpaid connected 2 occasions adjacent nan Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center successful Philadelphia, national prosecutors say. Both incidents were alleged to person taken spot connected October 13, 2021. ​

Almost a twelvemonth later, successful September 2022, Houck was indicted nether nan Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

The FACE Act prohibits nan usage of unit to injure, intimidate aliases interfere pinch anyone seeking aliases providing reproductive wellness services.​

However, past week Shawn Carney, nan president of nan pro-life campaign known arsenic 40 Days for Life, confirmed that Houck had won a wrongful apprehension suit against nan Justice Department. ​The pro-life group’s Institute of Law and Justice had represented Houck successful nan lawsuit.

“Mark’s family has been awarded complete a cardinal dollars for what they went done successful nan ridiculous 2021 ambush of his home,” Carney said successful an official statement, referring to Houck’s arrest.

In nan video, he went connected to picture nan result arsenic a “huge ineligible triumph for free speech.”​

Carney besides claimed that Houck’s son, who was praying pinch his begetter extracurricular of nan Planned Parenthood halfway connected October 13, 2021, had faced “harassing” behaviour from nan volunteer.

Federal prosecutors allege that nan volunteer, whom they only mention to arsenic “B.L.” was shoved to nan crushed by Houck successful nan first incident extracurricular nan center. At nan time, B.L. had been escorting 2 patients arsenic they exited nan facility.

In nan 2nd incident, national prosecutors opportunity Houck “verbally confronted” B.L. earlier shoving him again successful beforehand of nan Planned Parenthood center. ​After falling, B.L. sustained injuries that request aesculapian attention.

Ryan-Marie, Houck’s wife, claimed to LifeSiteNews that her hubby was arrested by an FBI SWAT squad astatine 7.05 a.m. connected September 23, 2022. ​According to her, astir 25 to 30 agents arrived astatine nan location to return her hubby into custody.

When Houck opened nan door, Ryan-Marie says that nan agents had “had big, immense rifles pointed astatine Mark and pointed astatine maine and benignant of pointed passim nan house.”​

If recovered guilty, Houck faced a maximum imaginable condemnation of 11 years successful prison, 3 years of supervised merchandise and fines of up to $350,000, according to national prosecutors. ​

However, Houck was yet acquitted of his charges nether nan FACE Act successful January 2023, according to nan Diocese of Scranton.

FBI Philadelphia antecedently said successful a connection fixed to EWTN News that nary SWAT teams aliases SWAT operators were dispatched to Houck’s house. Instead, FBI Philadelphia said that Houck was asked to exit nan residence and was arrested without incident.

​In his lawsuit, which was obtained by Fox News, Houck accused nan DOJ of carrying retired a “faulty investigation” and of utilizing “excessive force.”​

The Independent has contacted Planned Parenthood and FBI Philadelphia for comment.