On August 22 2017, San Diego NBC affiliate KNSD reported that Robert J. Santella had surrendered his medical license due in part to his conduct in the video, and the physician agreed not to challenge unrelated accusations:

A longtime San Diego physician will close his medical practice December 31 [2017], and will not challenge accusations of gross negligence in patient care, and unprofessional conduct, during an altercation outside a local abortion clinic.

The Medical Board of California detailed those allegations in a 25-page accusation filed July 17 [2017] against Dr. Robert Santella. The Medical Board claimed Santella over-prescribed narcotics to six patients and botched an abortion on another patient. The Board also cited Santella's "aggressive" and "outrageous" behavior outside the Family Planning Associates abortion clinic on Miramar Road in June 2016 as a cause for revoking his license.

That confrontation was videotaped by two abortion protesters, including Zephaniah Mel, who went face-to-face with Santella outside the clinic entrance. The video shows Santella approaching Mel with a pair of scissors in his right hand.

As described in the accusation, Mel urged Santella to "stop murdering babies." In response, Santella "aggressively pressed his face to within inches of (Mel’s) face and angrily replied 'Why?'" According to the accusation, "When asked if he did that to babies, (Santella) replied in a guttural tone, 'Yeah, I love it!'"

Mel later claimed he felt threatened by the confrontation he captured on video, an allegation Santella's lawyer refuted. Nevertheless, Santella's actions were cited as a cause to bring action against him after the video circulated:
Santella’s attorney, Bob Frank, said because of the camera’s angle, there is no video footage of the confrontation that supports Mel’s claim that Santella threatened him with the scissors ... In the accusation, the Medical Board’s executive director said Santella’s "outrageous conduct" and "physically threatening gestures" violated his profession's ethical code, and demonstrate Santella is unfit to practice medicine.

While Frank maintained he believed Santella could successfully dispute the sanctions, he also indicated that the time and expense involved was a major disincentive to do so.

Santella spoke to KNSD, saying he "lost his composure" and expressing regret for his actions.

The video was undoctored and authentic, but neither new nor actively suppressed in February 2019. In the clip, Santella did not say he "loved killing babies," but he did respond to the protester's assertion in the affirmative. Iterations of the clip were shared in June 2016, and used as a basis to (successfully) oust Santella from a San Diego clinic.

Santella faced disciplinary action due in part to the events portrayed, opting to surrender his license rather than dispute the allegations.