Stevens To Pro-Lifers: I’m Not Afraid To Arrest You

Posted by Corrina Gura (August 31, 2010 at 11:17 am)

A second police officer consults with Officer Stevens (sitting in the car) while pro-lifers (left) pray outside of Planned Parenthood in Chicago.

Just when things might be looking up for pro-lifers facing Bubble Zones everywhere, since Pastor Walter Hoye’s Bubble Zone arrest was overturned last week, Officer Stevens of the Chicago Police Department reminds us that it’s not over until the law is gone.

Three Squad Cars Arrive

Officer Stevens was the first on the scene on Saturday, August 28th. I still don’t know why he was even there.

There were two sidewalk counselors down the street, outside of the fifty foot bubble, and I was standing, motionless, 8-10 feet from the door of the clinic.

Perhaps it’s because several women took the literature I gave them, since the inexperienced “deathscort” standing alone at the doorway wasn’t as quick at pushing the girls through the entrance as some of the others are. Planned Parenthood doesn’t like when the girls carry copies of the lawsuits that have been filed against them into the clinic, I suppose.

Stevens sat in his car, watching us. Two other officers arrived and walked to Stevens’ car to consult with him. They didn’t stay very long. Stevens, however, stayed and watched us for a while.

Stevens Vows To Use Strict Interpretation

One of the Prayer Warriors engaged Stevens in a conversation about the Bubble Zone law. I stood nearby and heard some of parts of their (loud) conversation myself.

Stevens told the pro-lifer that the law has not changed since it went into effect in November, but that they have chosen to use a stricter interpretation of the law over the past couple of months.

He said that when the law first went into effect that the other officers were worried to arrest people because they didn’t want to wrongfully arrest someone. But, he said, he had talked with multiple other officers and his superiors and they had agreed with his strict approach to the situation.

He even told another pro-lifer, “other officers are afraid to make an arrest for this law, but I’m not.”

Basically, it’s not going to be getting any better. And probably it will get worse as long as Stevens is around.

He Brags About Arresting Pro-Lifers

Then, with his voice full of pride, Stevens said that he had “already locked up three people” under this ordinance. He said that he told Joe Holland and the others that he was “doing them a favor” because then they would be able to challenge this law “all the way up to the Supreme Court” if they wanted to.

Of course, if the case is dropped because (among other reasons) the officer didn’t do his paperwork properly, the pro-lifers can’t really take it to the Supreme Court, now can they?

Stevens also told us that he would be in court later this month to testify against David Avignone for his “violation” of the bubble. This sparked some confusion among the pro-lifers, since we all knew David’s case had been dismissed when no one showed up to testify against him a few weeks ago. I guess Stevens got his dates wrong.

Thomas More Society Preparing To File a Lawsuit

Peter Breen, Executive Director and legal counsel for the Thomas More Society, has informed us that TMS will be filing a lawsuit against this law to protect pro-lifers.

I hope this lawsuit will quell any overzealous efforts against pro-lifers who are exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech near “medical facilities.”

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