A prominent Catholic antiabortion activist accused of shoving a Planned Parenthood volunteer was acquitted Monday of charges that he instigated the encounter to intimidate workers at the organization’s Center City clinic.
As the jury’s foreman read out the panel’s decision, Houck clenched his jaw, then bowed his head, his hands over his eyes in relief. Moments before, the courtroom packed with family members and supporters had been chanting together in prayer.“I’m overjoyed, blessed, just so grateful,” Houck said, as he left the courtroom surrounded by supporters — many of them clutching prayer books or rosary beads. “I’m just so grateful for that justice was served here today.
And Houck’s arrest last year by armed FBI agents at his Bucks County home drew harsh criticism from Republican candidates on the campaign trail, including failed GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano. The bureau maintained the tactics agents deployed that day were standard protocol for making arrests in the field.
For his part, Houck never denied that he twice shoved Bruce Love, a then-72-year-old volunteer patient escort at the Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center during their 2021 altercation. A second tussle occurred moments later, after Love approached Houck and his 12-year-old son, who had joined him that day, on the street corner near the clinic. Nearby security cameras caught the incident on tape, showing the two men aggressively exchanging words before Houck shoved Love again, sending the older man reeling to the ground, where he scraped his elbow and bruised his palms.