A Michigan man who shot an 84-year-old woman who was advocating against abortion has been ordered to stand trial.
Joan Jacobson, an 84-year-old volunteer, was advocating against a proposed state constitutional amendment that sought to establish a “right” to abortion. Having already been to about a dozen homes handing out literature and attempting to persuade people to oppose the amendment, she visited the home of Sharon and Richard Harvey, where, shortly after, she was shot in the shoulder by Mr Harvey.
Ms Jacobson claims that Sharon Harvey was “hostile, belligerent, and antagonistic” when she discovered what she was advocating for. After a short exchange, Ms Jacobson went to leave, but Mr Harvey fired his rifle once in a “warning shot” and then claimed to have “accidentally” shot Ms Harvey with a second shot.
Ms Jacobson was shot without any provocation.
Ms Jacobson, though, believes the shooting was intentional. She told The Daily Signal “I do think that he knew what he was doing. I think it was intentional”.
Ms Jacobson’s legal team explained “She was not threatening either Mr. Harvey or his wife, did not use her clipboard as a weapon, and was shot without any provocation. She had turned to ask Ms. Harvey to stop yelling at her, and she was shot from the side as the bullet entered the top of her right shoulder and exited out her upper back near her spine”.
“I was just in shock”, Jacobson recalled. “I said to myself, ‘Did I just get shot? Did he just shoot me?’”
“They didn’t say anything”, the 84-year-old continued. “I didn’t say anything. I just headed back to my car and tried to ascertain if I could drive … I didn’t feel lightheaded or like I was going to pass out or anything. I thought, ‘I gotta get out of here.’ I got into the car and they were standing by the sidewalk, I looked through the car window, and I had a thought that went through my mind, I thought, ‘This guy is going to shoot me again through the window of the car!’ He didn’t, and I was able to get the car started, get into gear, get on the road”.
“There was no justification for shooting Ms. Jacobson.”
A judge issued a ruling against Richard Harvey, 74, charging him with assault and careless discharge of a weapon.
David Kallman, senior legal counsel for Great Lakes Justice Center representing Ms Jacobson said “There was no justification for shooting Ms. Jacobson. Mr. Harvey admitted firing a warning shot, so he knew the gun was loaded when he pointed it at my client. If it was truly an accident, why did neither of the Harveys express any remorse or even offer to assist Ms. Jacobson or call 911 immediately after shooting her? The answer is obvious: it was not an accident and Mr. Harvey should be held accountable”.
A series of violent attacks on people and property occurred earlier this year after Roe v Wade was overturned.
Right To Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said “Violence and intimidation against pro-lifers for attempting to persuade someone to oppose a piece of legislation is utterly unacceptable. The Harveys should be held accountable”.
