A boisterous heckler tangled with Colorado State Patrol officers at an anti-Amendment 48 news conference Tuesday and, as if on cue, tempers flared for a rolling video camera.

The obstreperous anti-abortion protester, identified in media
reports as Morrison-resident John Wiechel, attempted to shout down Gov.
Bill Ritter who was speaking on the steps of the Capitol in opposition
to the proposed state constitutional amendment that would confer legal
rights on fertilized eggs.

VIDEO: Life & Fertilization

Wiechel’s first mistake was drawing the attention of troopers who
entered the scene from stage left playing the classic good cop-bad cop
routine. Then, apparently getting confused about whom he was there to
shout about – unborn babies or homosexuals – Wiechel’s brief encounter
with law enforcement went awry when the bad cop momentarily went off
the deep end. Quickly composing himself, the male trooper slapped
handcuffs on the loquacious protester who was escorted into the capitol
followed by a ragtag band of "babies are people too!!!" sign-wielding
supporters.

The incident was captured for posterity on video by an anti-abortion blogger:

 

According to a source on the scene, a more restrained Wiechel returned to the news conference without further incident.

Ritter, a staunch Catholic and socially conservative democrat who
drew concern from reproductive rights advocates when he ran for
governor in 2006, said the proposed amendment was too extreme and would
create medical and legal nightmares because of its overly broad
language to define a fertilized human egg as a person. Amendment 48 is widely believed to be a direct assault on Roe vs. Wade and, should it pass, would be used to challenge the 35-year law that legalizes abortion.

The governor was joined at the noisy ‘No on 48′ event by former
Colorado Supreme Court Justice Jean Dubofsky, former Republican state
Senator Dottie Wham and a bevy of medical and legal professionals.