Geriatric Lawyer Seemingly Brandishes Grenade At Pro-Life Protesters, Instantly Regrets It

A lawyer was arrested Sunday after brandishing what appeared to be a grenade at pro-life protesters in front of a left-leaning church in Conway, South Carolina.

Richard Lovelace, 79, was seen outside St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Conway speaking to activists while holding what he claimed was a grenade in a video captured by Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust. Lovelace, who has practiced law in the area for decades, is now in a Horry County jail, records show.

“This man, he walked up and I thought he was coming to have a conversation and wanted to share his point of view,” Survivors organizer Jessica Newell told the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF).

“He said, ‘This is a gift for you protesters. It’s a hand grenade,’” Newell said. She did not recall Survivors having any prior interaction with Lovelace.

Police arrived to arrest Lovelace about five minutes after Newell called, she told the DCNF. Footage shows officers restraining the attorney and seating him in a police car with flashing lights. Newell told the police she did not know whether the grenade was real but wanted them to ensure Lovelace would not pose a danger, she said.

The Conway Police Department and Lovelace’s law firm did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.

“We fully respect the right of citizens to peacefully protest, and we do not condone any behavior from any party that could be perceived as threatening in any way,” a spokesperson for the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina told the DCNF, declining to provide details about the incident.