A Baltimore jury found Patrick Brice guilty Feb. 6 of two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of reckless endangerment for attacking elderly pro-life advocates outside a Planned Parenthood facility on May 23, 2023.
Brice, 27, assaulted 84-year-old Dick Schafer and 73-year-old Mark Crosby while they were praying outside of a Planned Parenthood that shares a wall with a pregnancy resource center, CatholicVote reported.
According to police reports, Brice shoved one of the men to the ground with both hands, punched him, and then kicked him “with extreme force” in the face. The other was tackled over a nearby flower pot.
Brice’s assault left Crosby with severe facial injuries, including a fractured orbital frontal plate, and Schafer with scrapes and an injured shoulder after being knocked into a brick wall, the Catholic Review reported. Brice was identified as the attacker through video footage but was not arrested until July 1, 2024, more than a year after the assault.
The jury was split on the more serious charge of first-degree assault — acquitting Brice in Schafer’s case and failing to reach a verdict in Crosby’s case.
During the trial, Assistant State District Attorney Ashley Sudberry described the attack as “brazen, callous, barbaric behavior.” Brice’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Matthew Connell, maintained that his client had simply “made a mistake.”
In his closing remarks, Connell referred to Schafer and Crosby as “old white men” who view themselves as “religious martyrs” and who say “the most vile things” to women.
“We’re pro-life, nonviolent,” Crosby said on the stand. “I am not a counselor. All we’re trying to do is say there are options [for pregnant women].”
Brice’s sentencing is scheduled for March 20, at which time the court will also decide whether to hold a retrial on the hung first-degree assault charge.
Following the attack, Crosby received widespread support from the pro-life community. While Crosby was in the emergency room, Donald Trump gave him a call. He later attended the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) as Trump’s guest.
Crosby and Schafer returned to the abortion center less than a week after the attack to continue their prayer efforts. They are known for regularly praying outside the facility and distributing small bags that contain information on pregnancy resources, details about the unborn, and snacks.