Man who severely beat elderly pro-life activists avoids prison

A 28-year-old Baltimore man found guilty of brutally beating then-73-year-old Mark Crosby and 84-year-old Richard Schaefer — both pro-life activists — in 2023 avoided prison Thursday, according to The Daily Wire.

Patrick Brice was found guilty of two counts of second-degree assault and reckless endangerment in February, according to CBS News. Despite video evidence of the incident, Brice’s recent sentencing included only one year of home detention, The Daily Wire’s Leif Le Mahieu reported.

Baltimore police responded to a call outside a Planned Parenthood on May 26, 2023, as witnesses reported that Crosby and Schaefer had been attacked. According to CBS News, officials at the time found Crosby with “a large lump forming on his right eyebrow and blood and swelling around the right eye and right side of his face.”

In response to the verdict on Thursday, Crosby told Le Mahieu outside the court that he was not surprised with Brice avoiding jail time, adding that Baltimore is a “criminal friendly” city. He said this as he held pictures of his injuries from the incident.

“It’s not victim-friendly at all, especially if you’re a senior,” Crosby told The Daily Wire reporter. “So nothing surprises me with these judges. The judges do not like pro-lifers. They don’t like us saving babies. I don’t know why. It’s just God’s beautiful babies. It’s sad, but the consequence is our water is now poisoned.”

During the investigation, officials released video footage of the attack in July 2023 before identifying Brice as the suspect.

The footage shows Brice arguing with two individuals before turning to tackle Schaefer to the ground. Crosby can then be seen approaching before Brice then shoves Crosby to the ground, repeatedly punching him and kicking him before walking away.

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During the trial in February, Brice declined to dispute the altercation and instead said he didn’t mean to hurt the two elderly pro-life activists, according to CBS News.

By June, Circuit Judge Yvette M. Bryant acquitted Brice of first-degree assault, ruling that prosecutors failed to provide evidence that he intended to inflict serious injuries, The Baltimore Banner reported. The jury at the time struggled to reach a unanimous verdict on an additional first-degree assault charge involving Crosby, with prosecutors attempting to move forward with a retrial, the outlet reported.

Following the attack, Crosby was treated for a fractured bone in his face, blindness in one eye, head and neck pain, two fractured fingers, and burns on both his arms and legs, according to The Daily Wire.

According to Maryland law, second-degree assault convictions can carry up to 10 years in prison and a possible fine of $2,500. Additionally, the state’s reckless endangerment convictions carry up to five years in prison and a possible fine of $5,000.

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