Article: Domestic Situations are Some of the Most Dangerous for Police Officers

Police say when emotions take over people's actions, it can lead to violence and death.
Posted: 6:33 PM Mar 10, 2010
Reporter: Jennifer Dowling
Email Address: jennifer.dowling@wilx.com
Domestic Violence

Police say the fatal shooting that happened in Jackson this week is a testament to the way domestic situations can get out of control and can be very dangerous to responding officers.

Deputy Chief of Jackson Police John Holda says, "If one party doesn't want the relationship to end, or is upset for some reason, then they let their emotions take over their actions and that leads to violence and sometimes death."

Jackson Police have been involved in three fatal shootings in the past three years. All were triggered by domestic situations. Besides this week's shooting, police shot and killed 24-year-old Marshan Worthey after they say he pointed a gun at them in August 2008. He had killed his girlfriend shortly before police arrived. They also shot Terrance Wheeler in May 2009 after he murdered his ex-girlfriend. When police arrived, they say he was stabbing the woman and refused to obey orders to put down the knife.

The Jackson Police partner with the domestic violence shelter Aware Inc. in Jackson. The executive director says police get themselves into dangerous situations any time they respond to a domestic. Becky Filip says, "It doesn't matter sometimes who gets in between what he thinks is his, rightfully his and anybody who comes in between that is in danger and police officers are always going into a dangerous situation when they go into a domestic violence situation."

Every officer does train specifically for domestic disputes. Holda says, "The first thing you do is try to gain control of the situation because a lot of times when emotions are involved and people are upset, you try to control the individuals and try to calm the situation as much as you can...separate the individuals involved to separate rooms in the house."

When police respond, they also send two officers. Holda says, "Just because you normally have two people involved and want to separate them it is much more tactically sound and safe for the officers."

However sometimes deadly force is necessary to protect their lives and the lives of others. Filip says, "What the public really doesn't understand is that the police officer's life is in jeopardy, but there's also some emotional stuff that the police have to go through....The police officers have to then live with the fact that they took a life even though they were doing the right thing and it was in the process of doing their job. But, it's not an easy thing to live with."