Man Charged with Trying to Burn Down Planned Parenthood Clinic (Twice)
LatestAnother day, another irrational, poorly-planned attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic that also doesn’t actually perform abortions. A man twice-accused of trying to immolate a Planned Parenthood clinic in Joplin, Missouri has been charged with attempted arson, according to federal authorities, after tossing items containing an accelerant on the roof of the clinic, and then lighting attached materials on fire.
Reuters reports that 30-year-old Jedediah Stout was unable to cause significant damage to the clinic in either of his two apparent attempts to burn it down on Oct. 3 and again on Oct. 4. A surveillance video taken outside the clinic on the night of Oct. 3 showed, according to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Stacy Lee Moore, a person tossing a backpack on the building’s roof and lighting an attached rope. The following night, Joplin police alerted the FBI to more footage of a similar second attempt on the building. Local police soon found Stout walking along railroad tracks about five blocks from the clinic, and promptly detained him.