Michigan Planned Parenthood intentionally set on fire: Police
Written by ABC Audio All Rights Reserved on August 2, 2022
(KALAMAZOO, Mich.) — A Michigan Planned Parenthood was intentionally set on fire, local authorities said.
The Kalamazoo, Michigan, clinic was shut down on Sunday after a fire broke out around 4:10 p.m, according to officials.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety released a surveillance photo that captured the alleged suspect wearing a black baseball cap, camouflage jacket, dark pants, blue medical mask and dark backpack.
First responders extinguished the fire in less than 10 minutes. The damage was minor and there were no injuries, according to police.
The clinic was closed following the incident and reopened at 1 p.m. on Monday, according to the clinic’s website.
Planned Parenthood of Michigan said its alarm systems appeared to have worked properly and it thanked firefighters for their quick response.
“As always, our top priority is the health and safety of our patients and staff, and we are grateful that no one was hurt,” Paula Thornton Greear, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan, said in a statement to ABC News. “We remain committed to serving our patients — no matter what.”
Kalamazoo police are working with federal and local authorities to investigate the incident, officials said.
“I am appalled, shaken and disgusted. The responsible parties must be brought to justice. I will never stop fighting to keep abortion legal,” State Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, tweeted after the news broke on Sunday.
The fire came just one day before a Michigan judge ruled to temporarily block the state’s 1931 abortion ban. The block came just hours after a different judge ruled to allow the state to prosecute based on the law.
“This lack of legal clarity — that took place within the span of a workday — is yet another textbook example of why the Michigan Supreme Court must take up my lawsuit against the 1931 extreme abortion ban as soon as possible,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement on Monday.
Officials ask that anyone with information about the fire or suspect to contact KDPS at 269-337-8120 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.
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