george tiller

george tiller

Reporting from Los Angeles and Wichita, Kan. -- For years, abortion foes tried to put Dr. George Tiller out of business. One of the few American physicians who performed late-term abortions, he was targeted by violent extremists as well as principled opponents.In 1986, his clinic was bombed. In 1991, it was blockaded for six weeks. In 1993, he was shot in both arms. In March, Kansas prosecutors tried him on charges of breaking an abortion law; he was acquitted. In May, vandals cut wires to security cameras and made holes in the roof of Tiller's clinic, Women's Health Care Services, a fortified single-story building where abortion foes keep daily vigil.

Until Sunday, when a gunman shot Tiller to death in the foyer of his church, the doctor had always overcome the daunting legal and physical challenges of his work, terminating pregnancies of women and girls who were in the 22nd week of gestation or beyond. But where supporters of legal abortion saw a savior, opponents saw a heartless killer.Tiller was working as an usher at Reformation Lutheran Church and his wife, Jeanne, was in the choir when he was gunned down about 10 a.m.Adam Watkins, 20, told the Associated Press that he was sitting in the middle of the congregation when he heard a small pop.

We just thought a child had come in with a balloon and it had popped," he said.Another usher told the congregation to remain seated, then escorted Tiller's wife out. "When she got to the back doors, we heard her scream, and so we knew something bad had happened," Watkins said.Tiller's lawyers released a statement from Tiller's wife, four children and 10 grandchildren: "Today we mourn the loss of our husband, father and grandfather," it said. "This is particularly heart-wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace."Hours later, Wichita police announced they had arrested a 51-year-old man about 170 miles away. A Johnson County sheriff's spokesman said Scott Roeder was arrested near Kansas City, the Associated Press reported.Wichita police said the suspect could be charged today with murder and aggravated assault.U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said the Justice Department was involved in the investigation. In a statement, Holder pledged to help protect abortion facilities and providers around the country to prevent "related acts of violence."