MINNEAPOLIS
Federal prosecutors said Michael John Harris, 33, plead guilty today to making telephonic threats to two clinics that provide reproductive health services in Minneapolis, according to officials.
Harris is facing up to a year in prison for each of the two counts.
In connection with his plea, Harris admitted that on May 12, 2014, he made telephonic threats to two different abortion clinics in Minneapolis that provide reproductive health services.
In his call to the first clinic, Harris threatened to kill the person on the other end of the call using his bare hands, and then cut the person’s head off with a band saw, according to authorities.
In his call to the second clinic, Harris admitted that he said he would kill the person on the other end of the call and everyone else who worked there, and that he was going to travel to the clinic and shoot everyone present.
Harris admitted that he made these threats to intimidate people from getting abortions.
“Harris’s violent threats against clinics that provide reproductive health services constitute a serious attack on an important right guaranteed by law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute those who seek to interfere with access to reproductive health care.”
“Our Constitution allows for a healthy debate on important issues of public concern,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Threatening the lives of health care workers is not a legitimate means of voicing dissent. Today’s guilty plea serves as an important reminder that our disagreements cannot devolve into violent threats.”
This case is being investigated by the FBI.