Woman Heading for Abortion Faces Assault Charges, Pulled Knife on Pro-Lifer
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 25, 2009
Duluth, MN (LifeNews.com) — A Minnesota woman faces assault charges after she allegedly pulled a knife on a pro-life advocate who encouraged her not to have an abortion. The assault follows a shooting that took place in September in Michigan that saw local pro-life advocate Jim Pouillon shot and killed as he protested abortion.
Leah Winandy and other pro-life advocates were gathered outside the abortion business in Duluth when an unnamed 25-year-old woman from Superior approached the Building For Women abortion center on 1st Street at around 8:00 a.m. local time Tuesday morning.
Winandy told the woman she cared about her unborn child but the woman responded by reportedly brandishing a knife and held it to Winandy’s throat.
"We asked the women ‘please don’t take the life of your unborn baby we care about what happens to them,’" Winandy told the Northland News Center.
"She said ‘don’t do this,don’t talk to me, don’t come near me’ and I just said ‘fear god,’ and she had the knife to my throat and I was a little nervous," Winandy added. "She was probably trying to threaten me and intimidate me…but for what reason I don’t know."
After the woman threatened Winandy, another sidewalk counselor came to her aid and the woman threatened her with the knife as well, holding it close to her neck.
The assailant then entered the abortion facility — where police later found her and located the knife in her purse. Police officials arrested her and took her to the St. Louis County jail, where she is expected to be formally charged later today.
Duluth Police told the local news web site that the woman is facing two counts of second-degree assault.
They indicated the abortion center hired security personnel in the past but that none are at the location now.
The Building for Women abortion business and local police declined to give an interview to the news site and a woman who answered the phone at the abortion facility declined to speak to LifeNews.com.
The pro-life group Live Action, which has exposed unethical and illegal practices at abortion centers like Planned Parenthood, condemned the assault.
"Violence is not the answer whether a person supports or opposes human abortions. We are thankful that Leah was not harmed in this incident," the group said.
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