Earlier this summer, Michigan abortionist Theodore Roumell ran over a pro-lifer’s leg twice, for which he was arrested. But when those charges were dropped, Roumell’s victim filed a lawsuit instead.
After the incident, pro-lifer Mark Zimmerman spoke to Live Action News about what happened. “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.” Witnesses later claimed that Roumell laughed at Zimmerman as he lay injured on the ground, and did not try to offer any aid.
It wasn’t the first time Roumell has faced such accusations.
In 2012, Lynn Mills, director of Pro-Life Michigan, was also run over by Roumell. At that time, he was arrested and charged with assault and was placed on probation for six months. Even then, however, Mills said he fought against accepting any responsibility for his actions.
“They were fighting tooth-and-nail to not get probation, to not have any consequences, and the judge was very kind, but firm, with him,” she recalled. “He didn’t want a record at all. He didn’t want to be put on probation. It’s like, OK, you get put on probation and then your record’s expunged — what are you afraid of? But he’s a reckless driver and he always aims at pro-lifers. The next step would have been the city of Livonia playing the videotape in court; he didn’t want that, so we had to take the plea deal for him being on probation.”
Photo by Gary Short of Roummel’s recent trial, courtesy of Lynn Mills. From L-R: Laurie (a surgical nurse), Theodore Roummel, attorney Matthew L. Norwood, Victoria More (abortion facility owner), Peggy Thon (facility administrator)
Despite his age and background, Roumell continues to drive, commit abortions, and assault pro-lifers. He even continued committing abortions when he had to use a walker for over two years, and has at least one malpractice complaint. His victim said Roumell left the head of a preborn baby inside of her, leading to hemorrhagic shock. Doctors at the hospital had to perform life-saving surgery, and when they did, they found so many lacerations inside her cervix and uterus that she had to undergo a hysterectomy to save her life — meaning she could never bear children. Yet Roumell is allowed to continue committing abortions.
“It’s open season on pro-lifers. When an aging abortionist gets away without applying the brake and his lawyer says in open court that Theodore Roumell had no obligation to do so, buckle up — the DOJ will be coming after all of us for even thinking killing children in the womb is wrong,” Mills told Live Action News. “The prosecutor who was supposed to be there on behalf of Mark Zimmerman barely uttered the words ‘I object’ at any point during the farce of a hearing, making the victim try to appear the villain. I will not be surprised if this abortion facility tries to come after Mark with FACE charges. That is how bad this went…. A civil lawsuit has been filed, but the only reason it may be settled is because the abortion side won’t want to sit for deposition.”
Zimmerman is now being represented by attorney Robert J. Dunn, who spoke with Live Action News about the lawsuit filed against Roumell. Both Roumell and the facility which employs him — Midwest Medical Management — are being sued.
Dunn said the evidence against Roumell is clear. “He’s threatened to do this numerous times, and not only that, but he’s done it before,” he said.
The suit contains four counts. The first three are assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and the fourth is negligence causing serious impairment of a bodily function. “We wanted to cover all the bases,” Dunn said, explaining that the fourth charge would apply even if someone were to believe Roumell accidentally ran over Zimmerman.
Additionally, Dunn argued that Midwest Medical Management, which operates the Women’s Center of Saginaw and Flint, where Roumell commits abortions, bears culpability in the case too. “He lives in Sterling Heights, which is near Detroit,” Dunn said. The distance between Sterling Heights (a suburb of Detroit) and Saginaw is roughly an hour and a half. “And this 87-year-old man drives all the way to Saginaw every day and they don’t have a problem with that, at his age?”
Zimmerman’s case suffered a setback when Saginaw County District Judge Elian E.H. Fichtner dismissed the case against Roumell in September. Though Zimmerman had to undergo surgery, and still needed to walk with a cane during the hearing, Fichtner seemed intent on turning Zimmerman into the aggressor in the situation, rather than the victim.
But Dunn, who was not present for the hearing, said Zimmerman will keep working to ensure Roumell is held accountable. “He was always going to fight to get justice.”
