Project LPPPA Notable Incident Reports

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The KANSAS COALITION FOR LIFE, Project Love, Prayer, and Persistent Political Action

5575 South Mosley Street, Wichita, KS 67216-3631 PHONE: (316) 522-8866 FAX: (316) 522-8833

INCIDENT REPORT: Mark S. Gietzen

Friday, June 8, 2007
Shift Start:	Shift End:
6:28 PM	7:09 PM

Mark S. Gietzen, David Schmidt and Peter Shinn:

After Peter Shinn, David Schmidt, and I picked up the large Crosses which set on the north side of Tiller's facility, we stacked them in my van and I parked the van at Choices Medical Clinic for the weekend, and got into the Truth-truck. (Note: For fear of vandalism, we do not leave the Truth-truck on-site unattended.)

It is traditional for the Schmidts and I to eat together on Friday evenings after closing down at Tiller's. That way, the Schmidts, who take a City Bus to get to Tiller's, do not have to wait for a City Bus to get home. We headed out in the Truth-truck to find a place to eat.

We parked the Truth-truck in a vacant lot near the Li'l Mexico Restaurant. It was parked across the street, to the west of Li'l Mexico, which is located at 1601 East Pawnee Street, in a position where the photo panels on the Truth-truck would not be visible to the patrons of the restaurant, but where I could see the truck from a window inside of the restaurant.

As we walked toward the door of the Li'l Mexico Restaurant, a young man who lives south of Li'l Mexico, and who appeared to be in his late 20's or early 30's, started yelling at us.

He was using profane language, and told us to get the Truth-truck out of his neighborhood, so that he would not have to explain the pictures on the side of the Truth-truck to his children, in the event that they would see it and ask him about it.

Since the man was very threatening, David went into Li'l Mexico Restaurant and asked the manager to call the police while Peter Shinn and I stayed in the parking lot watching the Truth-truck to see what he would actually do.

As the young man got closer, he became even more verbally threatening. Peter Shinn wisely turned on his video camera.

The young man said that if we did not move the Truck immediately, he would "bust it up" (he used different words) with his large torque-wrench, which he had in his hand, and, he said that he would set it on fire. This threat, and his threats toward us personally, were all captured on the Peter's tape.

The restaurant manager then came out, and said that this is not the first time that they have had trouble with this neighbor.

When the raging man got to the Truth-truck with his large torque-wrench that he was holding like a club, he noticed that Peter was video taping him, and he did not take a swing at the truck. Rather, he came over and threatened to kill me - putting his face an inch away from mine and yelling at me. I remained silent, but I did not back down nor back away.

Eventually, he calmed down a bit, and in a normal voice, I asked him his name.

"Justin" was his reply.

We shook hands, and I thought that the situation was defused. However, another person who lives in the neighborhood, an apparent friend of Justin's came out to argue with us, and Justin blew his top again.

When the police arrived, they arrived in force, with three officers. They requested to see the video footage of the event, and Peter was glad to share it with them.

Having heard the threats from Justin, on the video tape, they arrested him, and hand-cuffed him, in preparation to take him to jail.

At that point, a Police Captain arrived and asked if I wanted to press charges against him?

I declined, because he had not touched the truck or me, except to shake my hand.

The officer explained that whether or not I pressed charges, that Justin was spending the night in jail, based on what they had heard on the video footage of the event, and that I had no say in that matter.

After we ate our meal, we were surprised to see that the police had kept one cruiser and an officer to guard the Truth-truck while we ate.

The minute we left, he left.

I felt bad that Justin had to go to jail over the incident, but I feel worse that at least 30 babies were aborted at Tillers this week, and made to look like the photos on the Truth-truck… and very few people are aware of it, or care about it.

It should also be noted, that it was Justin, not hi