Grand jury refuses to indict woman accused of shoving elderly abortion protester

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A grand jury has declined to indict a Louisville woman who had been accused of attacking an elderly abortion protester in April outside of Kentucky’s only abortion clinic.

Janaya Alyce Gregory, 32, of Louisville, was facing a second-degree assault charge after she allegedly bumped 82-year-old Donna Durning outside of EMW Women's Surgical Center on Market Street in downtown Louisville on April 12.

According to a criminal complaint, Gregory initially ignored Durning, but then "turned back around and charged at the victim, bumping (the) victim with her body and causing (the) victim to fall backward."

Durning broke her femur and required surgery and rehabilitation. She also had a cut on her head but did not need stitches.

A police report and video showed a woman walking toward a waiting, burgundy car as Durning approached her on the public sidewalk.

The woman reached the car but then turned around and walked toward Durning and bumped her, causing Durning to fall backward to the ground.

Durning has volunteered as a "sidewalk counselor" outside of the clinic for 23 years, five days a week. She has talked before to the Courier Journal about her efforts, including in 2017, when she expressed optimism that her side was gaining momentum.

In a Thursday Facebook post, Black Lives Matter Louisville celebrated the decision by the grand jury to not indict Gregory and included a link to a “Janaya Gregory Legal Defense Fund” that had been set up to help Gregory with legal and personal costs.