Mark Zimmerman, a pro-life counselor in Saginaw Township, Michigan, regularly prays outside the Women’s Center of Saginaw. Last week, however, he was run over twice by none other than the abortionist himself: Theodore Roummel.
Zimmerman spoke to Live Action News about the incident, which left him seriously injured. “I was standing in the driveway and the abortionist ran over my leg [using his vehicle],” he said. “And then he had to reverse to get off my leg, so he ran me over twice.”
Though Zimmerman was on the ground in pain, a GiveSendGo campaign set up by friends to raise money for his medical expenses claims that after the attack, Roummel got out of the car and laughed at Zimmerman as he lay on the ground. Meanwhile, other pro-life counselors present called 911.
“He parked his car and came over when the police came, and was screaming at the police about how we always run in front of him — we don’t,” Zimmerman continued. “But I have four witnesses who saw what happened. So they gave a statement to police, and he was not arrested. He went about and finished his day by doing five abortions.”
This is reportedly not the first time Roummel has attempted to hit someone with his vehicle; in 2012, Lynn Mills, director of Pro-Life Michigan, was also run over by Roummel. In that incident, he was arrested and charged with assault and was placed on probation for six months.
So far, there is no word if Roummel will face charges for assaulting Zimmerman.
“I went today to the police station in Saginaw Township, and was told they didn’t have the police report finished because it is still under investigation,” Zimmerman said, later adding, “If the roles were reversed I would have been taken away in handcuffs.”
This kind of violence is seemingly a part of life for pro-lifers looking to counsel abortion-vulnerable women at Roummel’s facility — and Roummel isn’t the only one to be a threat, according to sidewalk counselors. “We have had [a different] gentleman, a single individual, he would come by and threaten to shoot us, and actually pepper sprayed one of my friends,” Zimmerman said. “He was charged with a felonious gun charge, and got an $800 fine for the pepper spray.”
Roummel is 88 years old, and yet continues to drive, assault pro-lifers, and commit abortions — even aborting children for over two years when he had to use a walker to get around. Roummel also has at least one accusation of malpractice, in which he left the head of a preborn baby he aborted inside the mother, leading to hemorrhagic shock. When doctors at the hospital performed life-saving surgery, they found so many lacerations inside the woman’s cervix and uterus that she had to undergo a hysterectomy to save her life, leaving her unable to have children.
Yet Michigan authorities seem content to allow him to continue practicing medicine — even as people like Zimmerman come under attack.
Roummel using walker (Photo provided by Lynn Mills)
Now, several days after the attack, Zimmerman is facing surgery.
“I’m tolerating. I have a fractured tibia, and it’s close to my ankle, and so I have a stable brace to keep it in place,” he said. “They’re going to put a rod in my tibia with a couple of pins and screws, and that’s less recovery time. I have a walker and a wheelchair that I’m using, and some crutches when I need them. But I have a lovely wife that’s taking care of me.”
Yet despite this ongoing intimidation, Zimmerman said he will continue to fight for life.
“Once I’m all done with this whole ordeal, I will continue to go back and continue ministering. I feel God called me to do this,” he said. “I’m moving forward and telling people that I do forgive this gentleman for his actions, as a believer in Jesus Christ, but I do want to see justice prevail. I don’t consider myself a hero of any kind. Keep up the fight for life, and remember that God has not given us a spirit of fear.”
To donate to Mark Zimmerman’s fundraiser, click here.
