Domestic Violence Headlines for the Week of Aug. 4

The fight against domestic violence is far from over—and this week’s news is a stark reminder of that.

Brave Bystander Killed After Intervening in Domestic Dispute

Last Saturday in Richmond, Va., a well-known and respected local actor was shot after trying to intervene in a domestic violence situation happening on the street. As Adam Turck, 35, was walking his dog Lana around 10 a.m. Saturday morning, he saw a man violently confronting a woman in what bystanders say was a domestic dispute. While someone nearby called 911, Turck tried to approach the couple. The 19-year-old man at the center of the argument then shot Turck before shooting himself. At the time of publication, both men were in the hospital but were not expected to survive. 

Intervening in domestic violence type situations should be done so with extreme caution, warn experts. An abuser may very well be armed. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization working tirelessly to end gun violence, 70 women are shot and killed by a partner every month, and 4.5 million women in the United States have been threatened by an intimate partner with a gun. Many times, innocent bystanders, family members, children and law enforcement are caught in the crossfire.

There are ways to get help for victims and call out domestic violence safely. Calling the police is the most immediate and safe way to do so. If you are sure the perpetrator is not armed, there are other options you can utilize to get the survivor to safety, such as approaching with someone else, creating a distraction to let the abuser know you are present, pretend to know the victim and ask if you can speak to her or wait for the abuser to leave and then approach the victim to provide aid. Learn more in “5 Ways to Intervene When You Suspect Domestic Violence.”

Turck was called “immensely talented” by his friends, who said would do at least six theater shows a year in the Richmond area and was currently rehearsing for his next role. The enthusiastic Superman fan was also known for frequently helping strangers, recently assisting a man who had been robbed and wounded just a week prior.

A close friend, Rachel Garmon-Williams, told local media, “In a way it’s given some comfort in that, in a weird sense … that was who he was, and so that has just been hard to process and deal with, but also it is so who he is.”

Source: 12onyourside.com

New Jersey State Trooper Guns Down Ex-Girlfriend and Her New Boyfriend

More gun violence out of New Jersey when local State Trooper Jorge Santos shot and killed his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend on Saturday, 11 months after he and the victim ended their relationship. Abusers are known to be the most violent when they feel they are losing control of their partner, and Santos was no exception. He was accused of harassing his ex, 33-year-old Lauren Semanchik, long after their split. Semanchik, a beloved veterinarian, had recently started dating 29-year-old Tyler Woods, a volunteer firefighter, the other murder victim. 

Santos’ body was later discovered. He had died of an apparent suicide. 

It’s unclear if Santos had been convicted of a domestic violence crime previously, but even if he had, those in law enforcement are often able to skirt the law that says they’re not allowed to possess firearms. The Lautenberg Amendment, passed in 1996 as part of the Gun Control Act, prohibits anyone who’s been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor from owning a gun. Yet police officers are more likely to avoid conviction when it comes to domestic violence charges compared with the general population. A review of cases in San Diego revealed that 92 percent of reported domestic violence cases involving the general public are prosecuted as compared with just 42 percent of reported officer-involved domestic violence cases, according to the International Journal of Police Science.

The practice manager at the veterinary office where Semanchik worked described her as a “phenomenal veterinarian and one of the kindest souls you could ever encounter.”

Stalking often escalates to in-person violence and should always be regarded as a serious red flag, especially when the stalker is a previous abusive partner. Learn more about the steps one can take if they’re being stalked in “What Is Stalking?”

Source: 6 ABC Action News

Abuser Ignores Orders of Protection Twice, Stalks and Kills Ex-Girlfriend

Baton Rouge, La., makes our headlines for a second week in a row with a disturbing story about an order of protection that did anything but protect. Less than two months after Paul Varnado, 54, threw his then-girlfriend, Alanna Singleton, 54, down a flight of stairs just because he could, Varnado fatally shot Singleton at her home on Sunday before shooting and killing himself. 

Singleton had an active protection order against Varnado forbidding him from coming near her or her home. It was the second protection order she’d filed against her ex. While always recommended for survivors of domestic violence who are being stalked, harassed, threatened or abused by their partners, protection orders are only effective if the abuser fears the consequences of violating one and if police enforce said violations.

Officials say that Varnado had continued to contact Singleton after a court order forbade him from doing so, but those officials did not specify if Varnado was arrested as a result before committing murder. 

A National Institutes of Justice study found that about half of orders are violated in some way. Unfortunately, many survivors have shared with DomesticShelters.org that they’ve had difficulty getting police to respond to violations of protective orders.

“If I could say there’s one issue that gets law enforcement sued more than any other issue in the country, it’s failing to properly enforce a protection order,” says former police officer Mark Wynn, in “Will I Be More or Less Safe if I File for a Restraining Order?” Wynn trains law enforcement in the U.S. and internationally on how to respond to domestic violence. His advice: Contact the police every time the order is violated. 

“If you don’t get a proper response, reach out to advocates at your local domestic violence organization. Often, an advocate can speak for you to the police or prosecuting attorney to help you figure out what’s going on.” 

Source: WBRZ.com

New Zealand Man Gets Just Five Years for Strangling Girlfriend

A 30-year-old man in New Zealand was sentenced to just five years in jail on Wednesday, charged with strangling his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill both her and her child in November 2023. Strangulation is known as the highest predictor of future homicide by domestic violence experts, which should make it an attempted murder charge, argue many. Yet, worldwide, criminal court judges are still treating strangulation as more of a slap-on-the-wrist kind of crime.

Judge Jo Rielly of Nelson District Court called the perpetrator’s crime “the most egregious and serious offending,” yet still gave Cooper Drew-Percy Taylor a relatively light sentence for strangling his ex so violently that she blacked out and lost control of her bladder. This is a sign of oxygen loss to the brain that can occur after just 15 seconds of strangulation. A victim can lose control of their bowels in 30 seconds and death can occur as soon as a minute after oxygen and blood flow are cut off. 

A study published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine revealed that women who survive strangulation by their partner are seven times more likely to be the victim of an attempted homicide, and eight times more likely to be a victim of homicide. Victims of strangulation are also at greater risk for traumatic brain injury, or TBI. This can result in a host of symptoms survivors may not immediately realize are from strangulation, such as changes in behavior, personality or temperament; cognitive difficulties, such as a decreased ability to pay attention or make decisions; as well as vision problems, insomnia, loss of coordination and seizures. 

The survivor’s victim impact statement detailed how she has since suffered from nightmares, anxiety and has lived in constant fear. At one point she attempted to take her own life, and she has since lost day-to-day care of her child.  

A psychological report on Taylor, submitted before sentencing, revealed that he had experienced childhood abuse. As an adult, he has displayed poor impulse control, high levels of antagonism and a tendency to be manipulative and callous. Judge Jo Rielly of Nelson District Court applied a reduced sentence for his so-called “difficult background.”  Meanwhile, Taylor’s psychological report determined that he has a high risk of reoffending.

Source: The Press