Anti-abortion rights demonstrators assaulted outside Baltimore Planned Parenthood, police say

BALTIMORE -- Anti-abortion rights demonstrators were attacked Friday, one brutally, after an ideological argument outside a Planned Parenthood in Baltimore, police said. 

The attack involved the suspect tackling an 80-year-old man and pummeling a 73-year-old man before kicking him "with extreme force" in the face, police said. 

Officers responded around 10:30 a.m. to the healthcare center on North Howard Street for the alleged assault, where witnesses said two men were attacked. 

The responding officer found the more severely injured victim, a 73-year-old man, at a local business. According to police, the man had "a large lump forming on his right eyebrow and blood and swelling around the right eye and right side of his face."

The victim told police he was demonstrating outside Planned Parenthood when an unidentified man attacked a fellow demonstrator, identified as an 80-year-old man. 

The victim said he immediately tried to help but was hit by the suspect and fell to the ground, where he was struck in the face. He allegedly told police he didn't remember anything after that. 

A volunteer worker who witnessed the incident told police it began with a debate over abortion rights. The witness reported that the suspect "did not yell or use obscenities, but that the suspect did talk in a loud manner to get his points across."

Police said investigators have obtained video of the attack. 

The suspect was allegedly seen passing the demonstrators before turning around to engage the demonstrators.

The man was seen "having a visibly aggressive conversation" with the 80-year-old victim. Then the argument became physical. 

"The suspect is then observed about to turn away but rushes [at the victim] and tackles him over a large flowerpot," police said. 

The victim allegedly suffered a small laceration to his hand. Then, the 73-year-old came to aid the fellow demonstrator. Once he got close, police said the suspect shoved him to the ground. 

"The video continues and shows the suspect strike [the victim] in the face with a closed fist as [the victim] is on his back on the ground," police said. "The suspect is then observed standing up and with extreme force, kicks [the victim] directly in the face."

The man was rushed to The University of Maryland Shock Trauma, where he was "diagnosed with a large hematoma, hyphemia, and head and neck pain," but is in stable condition.

An investigation is ongoing, and police are still searching for the suspect. 

Planned parenthood released a statement regarding the incident: "This past Friday there was an unfortunate incident on the sidewalk outside of our Baltimore health center between a pedestrian and anti-choice protestors. We at Planned Parenthood of Maryland condemn all violence. When abortion care is under attack across the country, we cannot tolerate violent acts from anywhere—especially when it gets in the way of patients' receiving proper health care."