A frightening incident in California in which a woman was allegedly forced to end her own pregnancy at gunpoint has raised even more questions about the morality and legality of abortion.
A 23-year-old California man allegedly held a gun on his pregnant girlfriend and forced her to take pills that resulted in a miscarriage, police say, and he now faces a first-degree murder charge.
Jagmeet Sandhu was arrested on Dec. 11 after police received a call from a family member. It is not known what medication the unnamed woman was forced to take, or what stage of pregnancy she was in. She miscarried at a hospital.
Sandhu faces six felony charges and was to appear in court on Friday, according to NBC News. The charges included first-degree murder and assault with a firearm.
Police say they already have evidence that supports the girlfriend’s version of events. According to Bakersfield authorities, Sandhu committed the alleged assault on the morning of Dec. 10.
“Her ex-boyfriend arrived at her apartment with a gun and made her take an unknown pill with the intent of having a miscarriage,” said Sgt. Nathan McCauley, as reported by KGET.
“This is an unfortunate extreme case of the baby’s father not only refusing to accept responsibility and support but actively seeking intentional harm against his child and his/her mother,” Abby Johnson, a pro-life leader, told Fox News.
Johnson leads And Then There Were None, a group dedicated to helping women leave their jobs at abortion clinics. Within her organization, she hosts a ministry that helps women get immediate assistance in crisis situations.
In 2018, a similar incident occurred with a Wisconsin man who tried to slip an abortion-inducing drug into a drink meant for his pregnant girlfriend. He was found guilty of attempted first-degree intentional homicide of an unborn child and sentenced to 22 years in prison.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 38 states have instituted fetal homicide laws. At least 29 states have laws that apply to the earliest stages of pregnancy, the group says.
