Brutal cases of domestic violence confront law enforcement, social services
Previously untold stories of gruesome physical assault and mental anguish in Castle Country homes came to light last Thursday at the 9th Annual Domestic Violence Training and Officer Appreciation event in the Carbon County Event Center.
Presentations included information on human trafficking, dating violence, changes in Utah law, and the development of a lethality assessment for domestic situations that are potentially violent. But the most gripping, engrossing portion of the conference came during the awards presentation for law enforcement officers. Stories of their encounters were revealed as the officers received recognition for their life-saving interventions.
As first responders, officers have seen the rage and brutality inflicted on some victims by their so-called “loved ones.”
Some victims are subjected to long-lasting campaigns of terror, being subjected to continual threats and physical harm before they escape the cycle of abuse.
In one case, “Sue’s” abuser threatened to harm her daughters if she called the police. The abuse included being strangled to the point of passing out and having a knife held to her throat. Carbon County Sheriff’s Detective Wally Hendricks was awarded for his investigation that led to the arrest of the perpetrator on a charge of Aggravated Kidnapping.
Held prisoner
Emery County authorities dealt with a case where a woman was held prisoner in her own home. Her husband put locks on the outside of the door, sabotaged her phone, and tied her up when he left. Officers Gayle Jensen, Kay Jensen and Jeff Weber were recognized for their work on the case that resulted in the husband entering guilty pleas to charges of Unlawful Detention and Domestic Violence.
Officers with the Emery County Sheriff’s Department also responded when a woman was shot at close range by her husband with an SKS semi-automatic carbine. The bullet went through her arm and chest cavity and exited through her back, causing severe internal injuries. She endured several surgeries and was kept in a medically-induced coma for two weeks. Detectives Garrett Conover and Jerod Curtis, and Deputy Keaton Cowley were recognized for their investigation that sent the victim’s husband to prison.
Price Police Officers Brandon Ratcliffe and Shawn Sackett, and Sgt. Kelly Maynes responded to an incident where a woman was severely burned when she was pushed head-first into a fire pit. Her cohabitant then put her into a shower and scrubbed her down before calling 911. She has suffered excruciating pain and disfigurement. Despite receiving the best medical care, including multiple surgeries and skin grafts, she is not expected to recover – and she is aware of this. Her attacker was charged with Aggravated Assault, with other charges pending the outcome.
‘Unspeakable horrors’
As Price Police Captain Bill Barnes said in his nomination, “This a case where officers were confronted with unspeakable horrors and unimaginable behaviors, yet the officers maintained their composure and professionalism and did their jobs. The final chapter of this story has not been told, but these officers demonstrated uncommon compassion to the victim and took necessary investigative and enforcement measures.”
The conference was organized by Jennie Olson, Eastern Region Domestic Violence Contract Coordinator. It brought together more than 100 people representing law enforcement, DCFS workers and other professionals in the field. Olson said, “The event gets bigger every year. People hear about it and want to be a part of it.”
Keynote speaker Brandee Mast told her story of being a child in a domestic violence home, being rescued and raised by her grandmother, and going on to earn scholastic honors. She is now pursuing higher education at USU Eastern.