King County prosecutors charged a Seattle man with second-degree arson Monday, alleging he tried to start a fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bellevue last week.
Winston Churchill Corbett, 36, is accused of shattering a Planned Parenthood window and throwing pieces of paper he lit with matches through the glass in the early hours of Sept. 18, according to the King County prosecuting attorney’s office.
The Bellevue Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire, which charred the glass and windowsill but otherwise caused minor damage. Corbett remained at the scene and told an officer Planned Parenthood “facilitated child sacrifice,” according to court documents. He was arrested and interviewed by Bellevue police.
In his interview, Corbett told an officer he had been sober for about a year and a half and had begun a spiritual journey as a Christian. He said God told him to start a fire at Planned Parenthood, but he didn’t want to hurt anyone, which is why he chose nighttime, according to court documents.
He said as part of his religious beliefs, he didn’t use electronic devices or take cars or transit, so he walked three hours from Seattle, where he had been living unhoused, to Bellevue with the intention of starting the fire, charging documents allege.
Corbett has several misdemeanor convictions, including one from 2022 where he set a fire on the first floor of a motel, according to court documents.
Corbett remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail. Prosecutors cited his statements about Planned Parenthood and his lack of fear related to being jailed in requesting the bail amount.
Prosecutors wrote in charging documents that “there is a real possibility the defendant could attempt to complete what he started at the Planned Parenthood.”
Planned Parenthood access and services weren’t affected, and the center opened the next day as planned, according to Rebecca Gibron, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood for the Great Northwest, Hawaiʻi, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky.
She said the safety and security of patients and staff is the organization's top priority and expressed gratitude for the prompt response from the Bellevue fire and police departments.
“Attempted violence against Planned Parenthood and patients seeking the high-quality healthcare they need and deserve cannot be tolerated,” Gibron said in a statement Monday. “ … I’m especially thankful for the top-notch team working at the Bellevue health center — our team didn’t miss a beat in providing care for the patients who rely on us. Our health center doors stay open, no matter what.”
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