Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains should have taken greater steps to protect its clients from the November 27 shooting in Colorado Springs that left three people dead and nine others wounded, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Denver District Court. And yet, he managed to bring four guns and two propane tanks into a health clinic and kill three people: Ka’Arere Stewart, Jennifer Tarkovsky, and Garret Swasey.
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Both the widow of a victim fatally shot and a woman who herself was wounded at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs are suing the abortion business for failing to provide adequate security, such as armed guards, that they say could have prevented a shooting rampage by a mentally deranged man..
In a Monday ruling, a federal judge in Cincinnati temporarily blocked the passage of a state law that would have defunded 28 Planned Parenthood clinics in OH, according to Reuters. The two plaintiffs in the suit – Samantha Wagner, who was shot in the arm, and Ashley Stewart, the widow of Iraq war veteran Ke’Arere Stewart who was killed in the attack – claim that the clinic should have had much better security in place.
Robert Dear has acknowledged opening fire at the clinic, telling investigators he was upset with Planned Parenthood for selling baby parts. During a court outburst in December, Dear said he was guilty. This month a judge declared him incompetent and ordered him to undergo psychiatric treatment before the criminal trial can proceed. Dear faces 179 counts, including eight charges of first-degree murder.
Although we can not comment on ongoing litigation, we believe that our health centers throughout the Rocky Mountain region are both safe and inviting for our patients and our staff who care for them.
Ke’Arre M. Stewart was killed in the shooting..
Planned Parenthood has always been a target for violence, said attorney Kirk McCormick, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the victims.
In the past few decades, the reproductive health group has been inundated with thousands of threats and been the victim of hundreds of attacks.
“The violent attack of November 27, 2015 had a tremendous impact on our staff, our patients and our larger community”, she said. However, as the lawsuit claims, the clinic failed to properly notify and train employees of potential danger.
Wagner, who was shot in the parking lot of the clinic, is seeking damages to help cover her medical expenses, lost wages and emotional damages, the Denver Post reported.
“[Planned Parenthood] of Colorado provided little or no security at the [clinic], such as an armed guard and perimeter fencing, as they do in other clinics”.
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“They were on notice”.
