Pro-Lifer Violently Assaulted Outside Abortion Clinic, Police Take Time After Repeat 911 Calls

LifeSiteNews ^ | 8/23/07 | Elizabeth O'Brien

[wagglebee]

ROCKFORD, Illinois, August 23, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A peaceful pro-life witness was violently assaulted outside an abortion site on Tuesday. Police responded late to his 911 after he was beaten by an unknown visitor to the clinic.

Early on Tuesday morning August 21, three Rockford pro-lifers-Ken Plez, Pat Brady and Kevin Rilott-were praying quietly in front of the Northern Illinois Women's Center (abortuary) for an end to abortion. A large white truck pulled into the clinic parking lot, and without setting foot on the clinic property, Rilott approached and tried to talk to the people inside.

In a detailed account of the event Rilott described how the pro-choice man got out of his truck and approached him, saying, "You shouldn't be here, you're upsetting my wife." He then began to hit Rilott in the chest, ribs, and stomach. Rilott did not strike back at the man, but managed to call 911. As he was being beaten, he begged for immediate police assistance.
 
He told his pro-abortion attacker that the police were on the way, but the man said he didn't care. The assaulter also said that "after he bonded out" he would come back and get him. After breaking Rilott's sign, the man then went into the abortion clinic.

Meanwhile, ten minutes had passed and there was still no sign of the police. Rilott called again and said, "We just had an assault and the guy who did it is still here." Finally, after a conservative estimate of 20 minutes, a squad car arrived. It was driving within the speed limit without any sirens or lights flashing. By this time, Rilott said, the attacker had already entered the building, talked with the owner Wayne Webster and then driven away.

When the police arrived, the pro-life witnesses asked an officer to get footage of the event from the clinic surveillance cameras. The officer chuckled, "you know he'll say he doesn't have one."  The officer inquired inside the clinic, but Webster said he'd forgotten to start his video camera that morning. Webster claimed, however, that he saw Rilott attack the man with his sign. 

Rilott asked the officer if "I attacked the guy why did I call 911 three times asking for help" and "why did the guy go in to the safety of the clinic then decide to run away before the police got there?" The officer didn't say anything (To read the full account of the assault: http://www.prolifecorner.com/).

President of Stephenson County Right to Life Eric Nelson, who has worked with Rilott in the past, told LifeSiteNews.com that Rilott is a peaceful man of integrity and honesty. He said, "Kevin is probably one of the finest people I know. He is a very generous and forgiving man. He's a very peaceful person. I don't know too many people like Kevin-very saintly. He teaches religion at a Catholic school in Rockford, and he also heads up many pro-life activities in Rockford."

Referring to the assault on Tuesday, Nelson continued, "Where you or I might get really angry, Kevin was very cool and collected and just let the guy vent on him. That's why I'm even more angry. You get such a gentle person and this happens."

Rilott also reported that after the incident Wayne Webster, the abortion mill owner, went outside to walk his dogs. He and the assaulter (who returned) mocked the pro-lifers who were still there, saying that the police "won't do anything".

Rilott is not as worried about his assault as he is about the poor response of the Rockford Police. "Their response time was frightening," he told LifeSiteNews.com. He also said that he is definitely going to press charges against his attacker. In addition, "just for the safety of our people," he said, pro-lifers could be forced to take action against the police. He said, "It's really right now depending on their response. If they show that they care that will be enough."

He also said in his report, "The Rockford pro-life community is a peaceful, prayerful group of people who obey the law. If Mr. Webster sees that a pro-lifer is assaulted and nothing is done about it, it could be very dangerous for the good Christian people who legally and peacefully pray and work for the end of abortion."

Patricia Banbridge, Director of the Respect Life office for the diocese of Rockford, who contacted the Deputy Chief of Police and is still waiting to hear back, told LifeSiteNews.com, "If this had happened to a pro-abortion person down there, it would have been taken care of in no time and would have been all over the media. That's the truth."

LifeSiteNews.com contacted the Northern Illinois Women's Center, but they refused to comment. The Rockford Illinois Police Department did not respond with comments by press time.

To contact the Rockford Illinois Police and respectfully voice concerns about the case (Case number *124500*):

Chief of Police
Chet Epperson
Rockford Police Department
420 West State Street
Rockford, IL 61101-1288
Phone: (815) 987-5839 or (815) 987-5800
Fax: (815) 961-3208

To contact
Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey:
425 East State Street
Rockford, IL  61104
(815) 987-5590 phone
(815) 967-6952 fax
(815) 987-5590 TDD

To contact Rockford aldermen see:
http://www.ci.rockford.il.us/government/council/index.cfm?se...

[wagglebee]

If one of the pro-life demonstrators had so much as pushed an abortionist, it would be the lead story on every news broadcast for a week.

[wagglebee]

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[Turret Gunner A20]

I am ambiguous as to who is the worst, the murderous abortionists or the police who ignore their flouting of the law and decency.

[Salvation]

And pro-lifers are supposed to be the violent ones?

Go figure?

[MountainFlower]

WOW!
I am not letting my kids know about this or they will be fearful for me every day. I wonder how long it would take the police here to respond...when I called in about a possible late-term, they refused to go in and check on it!!
I have one heckler who is brain-numbed, I think. One would think that after my being out there since January, on a daily basis, he would wise-up and understand that his heckling as he drives by is NOT detering me!! But, if he is that slow, that he doesn't catch on...he might be a crazy as this guy, and some day stop, and give me 'what-for'. The thing is...there are so many people driving by...then I question, would anyone witnessing it stop? Would they tell police what they saw?

I struggle to believe the society we live in today...it is hard to comprehend.

Webster and the assailant came out later and heckled the pro-lifers again!! Talk about brassy! I wonder what kind of 'god' they believe in, or if.

[wagglebee]

Yep, they murder over 3500 people A DAY in the United States and expect to be viewed as pacifists.

[wagglebee]

Be careful!

[PAR35]

If the guy came back, why didn’t they get his plate number? Why are they protesting without cameras?

[Neidermeyer]

I’ve seen this behavior before , the simple truth is that the clinic owner has the police on the payroll as escorts during their off duty hours... my wife hires the local police for security at her restaurant which has a bar ,, funny thing , her customers are always politely put in cabs if pulled over and don’t get DUI charges..

[Sloth]

Why are they protesting without cameras?

That is an excellent question. They ought to have gotten stills of this, if not video.

[Sloth]

my wife hires the local police for security at her restaurant which has a bar ,, funny thing , her customers are always politely put in cabs if pulled over and don’t get DUI charges..

That's... awful, actually.

[milford421]

You’re correct. Really telling are the violent actions of the pro-abort attacker. Taking his wife in to murder their child...

[Captain Rhino]

The only question I’ve got is where in the H**l was the pro-life video camera person covering the prayer vigil participants. You know, two praying and one filming. If you know the cops and the clinic are in bed politically on the issue, you can bet that they won’t be when you produce a a clear time stamped video record of the assault and the B.S. the officer put you through afterwards. Get it all on tape so there can be no “he said, she said” later.

Come on people, this isn’t your first rodeo! The cameras are cheap and easy to use these days. Get one so you wouldn’t be put in this position in the future!

(BTW, be sure to get the clinic owner and the criminal on tape talking about it afterwards so that you can sue the clinic for criminal conspiracy. Let them see how they like RICO.)

[TheBattman]

A peaceful pro-life witness was violently assaulted outside an abortion site on Tuesday. Police responded late to his 911 after he was beaten by an unknown visitor to the clinic.

Abortionists - the OTHER Religion of Peace(s)®

[metmom]

I know a lot of Christians feel very strongly about not suing but there’s a time for action to be taken and this is one.

If the police are going to be so cavalier about an assault, who’s to say they won’t do it for someone else they don’t like?

So much for the tolerance the left preaches about.

[festus]

The abortion issue aside this is just another day in Rockford.

They pull up in vans and beat people for far less reasons than the abortion debate at very regular intervals.

[diamond6]

The devil is alive and well in Illinois.

[AppyPappy]

If you protest, you need to have a camera.

[Pinkbell]

Check this site out regarding the violence of pro-aborts:

http://abortionviolence.com/
http://abortionviolence.com/0.HTM