(USNewsMag.com) – The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is facing a lawsuit from a Catholic activist after the man was arrested at his residence for a past altercation he was involved in outside of a Planned Parenthood facility.
Mark Houck, a pro-life activist, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the DOJ, demanding restitution. Houch argues that the Justice Department conducted “a faulty investigation” against him and used “excessive force” to arrest him. The DOJ deployed a SWAT team of about 25 officers to arrest Houck at home in front of his children, who were reportedly screaming during the incident as their father was taken away.
The lawsuit claims that “government agents intentionally sought to assault” Houck and to “deprive him of his Fourth Amendment rights” by the use of “excessive force,” despite the fact that the charges against Houck were “non-violent” and there was no indication he posed a threat to law enforcement. The lawsuit, which was filed by Graves Garrett LLC, noted that Houck “did not own a gun” and even “offered to turn himself in if indicted.”
According to the Biden administration, Houck was in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The FACE Act criminalizes the use of force against clinic workers with the intent to intimidate, interfere, or injure them on the job. He pleaded not guilty to the charges last year, after his arrest.
The FBI raided Houck at his Pennsylvania residence earlier this month for his alleged involvement in an October 2021 altercation outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. He claimed he was only defending his son in the incident and was acquitted in January of this year.
Houck’s wife described the FBI arrest as unnecessarily aggressive. She said at least five guns were pointed at her husband. Houck now seeks $1.1 million in restitution from the federal government and to “hold the DOJ and FBI accountable” for their “tortious conduct” toward him.
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