BALTIMORE (LifeSiteNews) â A man who was previously found guilty of savagely beating two elderly pro-life men, Mark Crosby and Dick Schaefer â ages 73 and 84 at the time of their May 2023 attack outside Planned Parenthood in Baltimore â will be back in court next week to face the most serious charge lodged against him.
Crosby, who spoke at length â sometimes through tears â with LifeSiteNews, indicated that heâs uncertain about the allegiances of the cityâs law enforcement, attorney generalâs office, and judge, who appear to him to be geared toward protecting Planned Parenthood and perhaps his assailant while demonstrating disinterest in seeking justice in the case.  Â
The now-75-year-old said that while he has continued to prayerfully advocate for life outside Planned Parenthood since the attack, his life has been threatened multiple times, including by a hostile transvestite, yet the police have not launched additional investigations.Â
âTheyâre not on our side,â mused Crosby. As further evidence, he noted that during an earlier trial concerning a lesser charge, the judge would not allow Crosby to show his wounded eye to the jury.  Â
Crosby, a Catholic, suggested that the attack should be considered a âhate crimeâ because his attacker yanked off the crucifix and chain he was wearing around his neck, but the cityâs attorneyâs office is âdragging its feet on that.âÂ
Video of the attack released by Baltimore Police clearly shows the extreme violence of the heinous crime against Crosby and Schaefer.
The accused, Patrick Brice, then 28 years old, can be seen rushing toward Schaefer, tackling him across a large concrete planter and then to the ground.  Â
When Crosby came to Schaeferâs aid, Brice then knocked Crosby off his feet, sending him crashing onto the brick sidewalk and straddling him while punching him in the face. He then kicked Crosby in the head before walking off. Â
Crosby said he ended up in a hospitalâs shock trauma unit for three days following the attack for treatment of serious injuries to his skull and eye socket as well as his knees and fingers. His right eye was blinded and he suffered a concussion.
In February, a jury convicted Patrick Brice in Baltimore Circuit Court on two counts of second-degree assault and reckless endangerment for attacking Schaefer and Crosby.Â
However, the jury could not reach a verdict on the most serious charge facing Brice: First-degree assault charge for attacking Crosby. Â
Crosby explained that the reason heâs adamant about getting justice in this case is not for himself, but for the entire pro-life movement. Iâm doing it âfor those arrested, convicted, and jailed under the FACE Act, and for others who have courageously faced violence while advocating for the lives of the unborn,â he said.
LifeSiteNews conducted a video interview with Crosby and Schaefer outside Baltimoreâs Planned Parenthood facility a few days after the unprovoked attack.Â
Crosby told LifeSiteNews at the time that he and Schaefer were engaged in their pro-life ministry when an unknown man approached, told Crosby to stay in the street, handed his drink to an abortion âescort,â and then charged into Schaefer who had his back to him, causing the pro-life advocate to fall against a planter and hit the ground.Â
A witness said that the then-as-yet-unidentified suspect previously engaged in a âvisibly aggressive conversationâ with Schaefer before knocking him to the ground. Â
Schaefer said that he had been speaking with someone just before he was attacked, but couldnât be sure of who assaulted him because he had his back turned at the time.Â
âWhen I got hit, I didnât see anybody,â he said.Â
âHe speared the one gentleman over that flowerpot into the window and knocked him out. He was out cold for several minutes,â one witness said, according to WBAL. The outlet noted that â[i]tâs believed the assailant didnât like Schaeferâs anti-abortion message.âÂ
âI was worried he was going to be thrown up into the plate-glass window, but he went through the planter,â Crosby told Hale. âDick hit the ground. He kicks Dick, I come over to help. He grabs my medals and yanks them off. He didnât get to my Rosary.âÂ
Crosby told LifeSiteNews that despite the pain he endured from the attack, âMy shedding blood in front of Planned Parenthood for Jesus and the babiesâ has actually been âa gift to me.â The âmillions of babies murderedâ at Planned Parenthood over the years âhave shed rivers of blood.â
News Source : https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/elderly-pro-lifer-assaulted-in-baltimore-says-city-is-dragging-its-feet-in-case-against-attacker/