Mark Houck, a pro-life activist and Catholic father of seven, has filed a lawsuit against the Biden Department of Justice for a shocking arrest that took place last year in front of his children. The incident occurred at his home in Pennsylvania, where an estimated 20 armed FBI agents stormed the property, terrifying Houck’s family.
The DOJ targeted Houck, who leads a nonprofit group that provides sidewalk counseling at abortion clinics in Philadelphia, over an incident involving his then-12-year-old son at a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. According to the suit, Houck was defending his son from a harassing pro-abortion activist at the time. He was facing 11 years behind bars and fines up to $350,000 before being acquitted of the charges in January.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday, seeks $1.1 million in damages for the activist. It alleges that the arrest was an infringement of Houck’s Fourth Amendment rights and was an “unnecessary and unlawful show of force.” The suit also states that officers used excessive force to make the arrest, despite facing non-violent charges and posing no threat to law enforcement.
Houck’s wife, Ryan-Marie Houck, is also seeking damages in the suit. She claims to have suffered numerous miscarriages as a result of the traumatic arrest due to stress and PTSD. The lawsuit states that she is now infertile, and her health has deteriorated significantly due to the events of that day. The couple’s seven children also suffered from the trauma of watching their father being arrested at gunpoint in front of them.
Pro-Life Advocate Mark Houck Sues Joe Biden for $4.3 Million for Bogus FBI Raid on His Family https://t.co/r0rLw8J5FD pic.twitter.com/pevzkkyC2A
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) November 9, 2023
The incident gained attention when a crowdfunding account was set up on the platform GiveSendGo to raise funds for the Houck family. The post described the event as “an unnecessary use of force” and stated that the Justice Department sent a fully armed SWAT team to arrest a father who was protecting his son.
In the aftermath of the arrest, Mark and his family faced emotional distress, and the children were reportedly traumatized by the events. The lawsuit states that the children continue to suffer from nightmares and require extra attention and counseling from their parents. They have also experienced difficulty coping with the situation whenever it is brought up or when unannounced guests arrive at their home.
The lawsuit seeks to hold the Biden administration accountable for the unnecessary use of force and the trauma caused to the family. The Houcks’ lawyer, Thomas Brejcha, says that the case is an example of how political activism can affect the legal process and create unnecessary problems for innocent individuals.
The incident has sparked a national conversation about the use of excessive force by law enforcement and the targeting of individuals for their religious and political beliefs. The Houck family hopes that the lawsuit will bring justice and hold those responsible for their traumatizing experience accountable.
