AUSTIN — A federal judge is threatening to hold Texas state health officials in contempt of court unless they allow an embattled El Paso abortion provider to open a new clinic.
The judge, Lee Yeakel, ruled Monday that the Texas Department of State Health Services must immediately stop enforcing the state’s sweeping abortion law against the provider, called Reproductive Services.
“Failure to comply with this Order shall subject (state officials) to sanctions for contempt of court,” Yeakel wrote.
A health department spokeswoman said officials will comply with the order, likely meaning that the clinic will be allowed to reopen.
Police were called to the South Wind Women’s Center on E. Kellogg at around 3:30 Monday afternoon.
Staff at the clinic reported a man came into the clinic with a backpack which contained knives. 911 dispatchers say the man was also carrying a small box wrapped in tape. The clinic was evacuated temporarily.
Wichita Police say the man had a small improvised explosive device which was set to explode. WPD Captain Doug Nolte says the device was small, but still dangerous. It is illegal to make an IED in the City of Wichita.
Now there’s been an update that is even weirder than the original story.
WPD spokesman Lt. James Espinoza says Moises Trevizo had no intent to set off the explosive and he was not trying to damage the facility.
According to police, Trevizo was applying for a position at the clinic. Officers went through a backpack the man brought with him and found several knives and a pill bottle with a fuse coming out of the top.
Lt. Espinoza says the security guard placed the item in an office and asked people to evacuate the building.
Trevizo was booked on one count of unlawful possession of an explosive. Lt. Espinoza says the device was dangerous and made of materials used to make fireworks.
He told police he had just moved out and had all of his personal belongings with him. Police say they’ve ruled out any destructive act against the clinic, and that it was just bad judgment for him to bring the bag into the clinic.
This was the assassinated Dr. Tiller’s clinic. I’m sure it’s just a big old coinky dink, and everyone carries tiny bombs in Wichita.
