THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 16, 1994 TAG: 9408160342
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LAURA LAFAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Federal marshals arrived at Hillcrest Clinic on Monday to protect and escort one of two doctors who perform abortions there.
The marshals were sent to guard Dr. Michael Girtelschmid, who has been threatened and followed by anti-abortion activists for a number of years. Another doctor, who also works at the clinic, has not been harassed and is on vacation.
The National Abortion Federation, based in Washington, asked for the marshals more than two weeks ago in the aftermath of the murders of Dr. John Britton and his escort outside a Pensacola, Fla., clinic July 29.
Britton's alleged killer, Paul J. Hill, has ties to anti-abortion activists in Hampton Roads, according to the abortion federation.
The names of two local activists - David Crane and Donald Spitz - appeared on a petition circulated by Hill advocating lethal force if ``carried out for the purpose of defending the lives of unborn children.''
The abortion federation asked the FBI to investigate the 25 people whose names are on the petition and to provide protection for doctors and clinic employees at Hillcrest and at other abortion facilities near the activists' homes.
``We specifically wanted them in places where people who signed the . . . petition are and where doctors and workers have been stalked,'' federation spokeswoman Gina Shaw said Monday at her Washington office.
At Hillcrest, anti-abortion activists in recent days have been photographing clinic workers in the parking lot and pointing imaginary guns at them, said Bonnie DeAngelis, executive director of the clinic, at 1600 E. Little Creek Road.
In addition, she said, there have been ``a lot of anonymous threats over the telephone.''
``We've had male callers asking if Paul Hill was here. We had a call saying there was someone on the way over here to murder a doctor. They call and pretend like they're a little child saying, `Mommy, Mommy. Don't kill me,' '' DeAngelis said.
Four activists picketed Girtelschmid's Virginia Beach home Friday night, DeAngelis said.
Although Spitz and Crane signed Hill's petition as director and deputy director of Rescue Virginia, Spitz said last week that the two have since split into separate organizations.
Crane's group is now called Life Ministries, while Spitz heads Operation Rescue Chesapeake. Last week, Spitz said, both men turned away FBI agents who showed up on their doorsteps.
``Nobody's talking to them,'' Spitz said. ``They were asked to leave and they were courteous enough to leave.''
In a news release issued last week, Spitz denounced U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and the FBI for investigating him and other anti-abortion activists.
``We saw at Waco what Reno and her goons did to Christians they didn't like,'' it read. ``. . . She will probably have us rounded up and have another Christian barbecue, just so she and the abortion profiteers can continue killing children in peace.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
David Crane
Donald Spitz
Paul J. Hill
by CNB