Pro-Choice Violence and Illegal Activities in South Carolina

Charleston Clemson Columbia Greenville Charleston, South Carolina

Assault with Intent to Kill and Death Threat [Mount Pleasant] According to official police documents and media reports, the following events occurred in and around Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. 31-year-old Mount Pleasant police officer Jerod Frazier was having a sexual relationship with 19 year-old Felicia Cooper, and she became pregnant. They argued over the pregnancy, and then Frazier pointed a gun at Felicia and threatened to kill her if she did not have an abortion. He was charged with assault with intent to kill. He went as far as driving her to the Charleston Women's Medical Center abortion mill on February 3, 2007, though it is unclear whether she had the abortion. At April 13, 2007 bond hearing, a judge ordered Frazier to stay away from Felicia, and Charleston County Bond Court Magistrate Linda Lombard set his bail at $50,000. Reference: Steven Ertelt. "South Carolina Police Offer Arrested after Attempted Forced Abortion." LifeNews, April 16, 2007.

Clemson, South Carolina

Assault, Theft, Harassment and Violation of Civil Rights In November 2005, Columbia Christians for Life conducted a six-day Show the Truth Tour throughout South Carolina. They had received a permit and had paid a fee in order to show their display at Clemson University. But when they arrived at the University, campus police shoved and blocked

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them, and one of the police deliberately stepped on the feet of 16-year-old Caleb Green. Caleb was also filming the scene, and one of the police grabbed his camera and returned it only after stealing the film. After all of this, the campus police kicked the group off the University campus and would not even allow them to show their pictures on an adjacent public sidewalk. Reference: John Jansen. "Activism Update: Going Where They Live." Pro-Life Action News [Pro-Life Action League, Chicago, Illinois], Fall 2005, page 4.

Columbia, South Carolina

Assault, Larceny, Criminal Abortion, Hate Crimes (2 incidents), Malpractice and Disorderly Conduct Abortionist Jesse J. Floyd was indicted on charges of illegal abortion and murder in the death of a 2 pound, 5 ounce infant boy of approximately 27-28 weeks gestation who survived 20 days following a third-trimester abortion he performed in Richland Memorial Hospital, South Carolina in September, 1974; the state dropped charges due to reluctance of the infant's mother to testify, and Floyd challenged the constitutionality of the abortion law. Floyd said that he had no reason to believe the fetus was over 20 weeks gestation, but also said he selected prostaglandin to induce abortion in an effort not to harm the fetus. Floyd was also indicted for the July 3, 1973 rape of a 19-year-old student nurse, who alleged that, several hours prior to the rape, he had written her, unsolicited and against her expressed wishes, a prescription for birth control pills. Examination of the student revealed the presence of semen, but the charges were still dismissed. Floyd was sued by Shannon Bell Little, who alleged that she was aborted by him at The Ladies Clinic abortion mill on April 7, 1995. Four days later, Shannon "delivered her dead baby at home." She said that Floyd was "maintaining a clinic in a filthy and unsanitary condition, including having [Shannon] wear robes and sit on linens which were covered with blood from other patients, in having her use a gas mask covered with lipstick from other patients, and in having her wait for an hour in a room with other patients without being washed or cleaned in any manner." Floyd was also found guilty of disorderly conduct, ordered to pay a $200 fine or spend 5 days in jail, after "allegedly used racial slurs toward a black [pro-life] protester." He was also charged with simple assault. A victim alleged he and a companion were approached by Floyd during picket, verbally harassed, and asked for their permit; when the companion went to get the permit from the car, Floyd slapped the victim's face; Floyd admitted asking for the permit but denied the assault. Floyd called the Black female pro-lifer a "black bitch," and ordered a bystander to "keep that nigger quiet!" He was also fined $229.25 or given 5 days in jail for petty larceny on March 20, 1991. Reference: Richland County Case Number 30159; The Columbia State, December 12, 1973 and August 29 and 30, 1975; New York Times, March 6, 1979; Omaha World-Herald, October 19, 1979; Philadelphia Inquirer, August 2, 1981; Complaint Number 900-9308, March 14, 1990; North Charleston Municipal Court Letter dated June 21, 1991; Richland County Court of Common Pleas Fifth Judicial Court Case Number 95-CP; Columbia Sidewalk Counseling News Release dated February 6, 1995; The State, February 10, 1995.

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Greenville, South Carolina

Assault (2 incidents) and Battery (2 incidents) 61-year old pro-life grandmother Ruth Trippi was sidewalk counseling at the Palmetto State Medical Center abortion mill on September 30, 1995, and was sitting on the seat of a car talking to two women at their invitation. Clinic escort Michael Deanhardt screamed at Ruth and pounded on the window of the car, then tried to forcibly pull her out of the car. When this failed, he and another escort, Elaine Norwood, repeatedly slammed the car door on Ruth's legs, causing a head contusion, neck and shoulder injuries, a bruised leg bone, and internal bleeding. The deathscorts said they did this "in hopes of causing enough pain to make her get out of the car." On October 11, 1995, police issued warrants for assault and battery against Deanhardt and Norwood. Deanhardt is on the board of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Reference: Bryan Gilmer. "Clinic Escorts Face Assault Charges." The Greenville News, October 12, 1995; Operation Rescue National Newsletter, December 1995; "ACLU Leader Charged With Assaulting Pro-Life Grandma." The Unreported News, January 19, 1996, page 9.

Stuart, South Carolina

Sexual Battery on a Child (7 incidents) and Lewd and Lascivious Acts on a Child (4 incidents) This is yet another example of how easily available abortion is the best tool for covering up sexual abuse and incest. Billy Banks Sr., 67 years old, and his son, Jimmy Lou Banks, 40, had molested several young girls over a long period of time. Billy Banks was charged with five counts of sexual battery on a child and two counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child. He molested three different girls over a period of many years, beginning in 1965 with a woman who is now 42. She told police she was 5 years old when Billy Banks first forced her to have sex with him. She said she also witnessed him forcing another child to have sex. She said he assaulted her regularly and that she became pregnant with his child when she was 13, then had an abortion, according to arrest records. In 2005, a jury found him guilty of the charges and he was sentenced to life in prison. Jimmy Lou Banks was jailed in Columbus, Indiana, where he was arrested in April 2003 on charges he molested two underaged girls. However, on March 19, 2007, his primary alleged victim, sick of years of hearings that were impacting her life, recanted her story and refused to appear at any more hearings. This meant that Jimmy Lou Banks pleaded no contest to a single count of third-degree felony child abuse and was sentenced to three years and two months in prison. Since he had already served more than that amount of time, he was immediately released. Reference: Jill Taylor. "Father, Son Face Sex-Abuse Charges." Palm Beach Post, September 17, 2003; Daphne Duret. Deal Frees Sex-Abuse Suspect After Alleged Victim Recants. Palm Beach Post, March 20, 2007.

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 End of South Carolina Listing (updated May 19, 2011)

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