Recognizing the Warning Signs of Domestic ViolenceDALLAS, N.C. - Before Friday’s tragic murder-suicide, the warning signs were all there. Police say 25-year-old Austen Minter had a history of domestic violence charges.
Neighbors say they witnessed him violently confront Tracy Hedgepath several times outside their Dallas, NC home.
“These neighbors reported that they saw him jerking her, yanking her back inside,” says domestic violence advocate Bea Cote.
Cote says too often neighbors see the violence as a private affair, a domestic squabble, and don't want to get involved in somebody else's business.
“They're witnesses to a crime and they need to call 911, and they need to call 911 every single time they witness a crime, because it is a crime to assault a partner,” Cote says.
She says you should report anything you hear or see that’s suspicious.
Cote also runs a program called "Impact" to get inside the minds of those who commit domestic violence.
She works with offenders and says much of the violence is about asserting power, making it a very unfair fight.
“If it's two people who are unequally matched or a person, one person has power over another person, that's an assault that's not a fight,” Cote says.
She says the more reports the police get, the more likely they are to investigative the situation, and try to put a stop to it.
“If the police continue to be called out there something will, hopefully, something will happen and we'll be able to prevent another tragedy like this,” she says.
|
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Most Popular
What's On TonightFull Schedule
8.00 & 8.30
cops
9.00
the finder
|
Most Popular