SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, Michigan (LifeSiteNews) — A pro-life sidewalk counselor in Michigan who was run over by an abortionist has given LifeSiteNews an exclusive interview detailing the harrowing event.
Veteran pro-life sidewalk counselor Mark Zimmerman, 52, spoke with LifeSiteNews correspondent Jim Hale in a July 3 interview to share his testimony after an abortionist ran him over with his vehicle last week at the Women’s Center of Saginaw, in what appears to be a deliberate and premeditated attack.
Despite breaking his tibia and being in a splint from his foot to hip, Zimmerman remains positive, telling LifeSite, “It’s made me actually spend more time with God and actually decide that I still want to go out and try and save mums and babies from death.”
According to Zimmerman, last Friday started out like any other day, with he and his fellow pro-life counselors arriving to the abortion clinic in the Women’s Center of Saginaw to provide witness to the dignity of unborn life and encourage women to avoid having abortions.
At about 10:15 a.m. local time, Zimmerman recognized the car of local abortionist Theodore Roumell, 88. As Roumell pulled into the clinic, Zimmerman began to cross the driveway.
“And then for some reason, I stopped in the middle of the driveway and looked to the right to see where he was,” Zimmerman recalled. “And he came around off the road, [toward the] end of the driveway and didn’t even stop.”
“And he went over my leg,” he continued. “And then obviously he had to go on reverse to get off my legs. So, I guess you could technically say he ran over my leg twice.”
Zimmerman’s friend immediately called 911 as Roumell drove around him to park his car. When the police arrived, Roumell showed no signs of remorse or concern for Zimmerman, instead telling police that Zimmerman was trying to block him from entering the clinic.
In addition to seeming unrepentant, Zimmerman revealed that he and his colleagues had previously heard Roumell say that he intended to run one of them down.
“One of these times I’m just going to run him over,” Zimmerman said, paraphrasing Roumell.
Considering the attack appears to have been deliberate and premeditated, Zimmerman is in contact with the police who are performing an investigation.
“They called me yesterday, one of the detectives, to get a release of medical information,” he stated. “So, they are continuing to do that investigation.”
Zimmerman also revealed that this is not the first time that Roumell has attacked pro-lifers. He recalled a friend telling him that Roumell tried to run her over in 2012 when she was side-walk counselling.
While Zimmerman faces weeks, if not months, of rehab, he remains dedicated to defending the unborn.
“What drives me is my relationship with Jesus Christ, which he commands us to not only first love him and then love our neighbors, and these moms and dads and preborn children,” he testified.
While his attacker reportedly showed no remorse, Zimmerman declared, “I do forgive this man. But I do want to see justice take place.”
Recently, pro-abortion activists have received little or no punishments for attacking pro-lifers.
In September, 75-year-old Richard Harvey fired a .22 caliber gun at elderly pro-life volunteer Joan Jacobson as she engaged in door-to-door canvassing, hitting her in the back.
Harvey has since been sentenced to 100 hours of community service, a suspended jail sentence of two months, and a delayed sentence of one year on probation for the shooting.