The announcement of the training comes after Mississippi Today’s story about April Tucker, a Lauderdale County woman who was beaten and strangled by her estranged husband last year.
Officers of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department will attend a mandatory training focusing on the legal and medical components of strangulation in domestic violence and sexual assault cases in May.
The news comes after Mississippi Today’s story about the case of April Tucker, a Lauderdale County woman who was beaten and strangled by her estranged husband Matthew Tucker in December. Law enforcement also believe he killed their 14-year-old son Bryce Tucker, her mother Beverly Fulton and his own grandmother.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to an incident in October at the Tuckers’ home. April told officers Matthew had strangled and threatened to kill her while holding a knife to her neck. The officers’ incident report documented cuts and bruises on her neck.
Advocates for victims describe strangulation as the “pinnacle” of abuse, and one study has shown it can be a predictor of future violence and lethality.
That day, Matthew was charged with simple domestic violence, a misdemeanor.
The state’s domestic violence law mandates strangulation — and even an attempt to strangle — be considered an aggravating factor, or a felony. But in many cases across Mississippi, abusers aren’t charged with felonies, according to some law enforcement and advocates for domestic violence victims. They say strangulation is considered difficult to prosecute in court.
The issue is a complicated one, said Ward Calhoun, chief deputy of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.
“This (training opportunity) came along as a good opportunity because it is a topic that is misunderstood to some degree by everybody,” Calhoun said.
Calhoun said the training is not related to the Tucker case, and the department prioritizes domestic violence-related training regardless.
Officers of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department will attend a mandatory training focusing on the legal and medical components of strangulation in domestic violence and sexual assault cases in May.
The news comes after Mississippi Today’s story about the case of April Tucker, a Lauderdale County woman who was beaten and strangled by her estranged husband Matthew Tucker in December. Law enforcement also believe he killed their 14-year-old son Bryce Tucker, her mother Beverly Fulton and his own grandmother.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to an incident in October at the Tuckers’ home. April told officers Matthew had strangled and threatened to kill her while holding a knife to her neck. The officers’ incident report documented cuts and bruises on her neck.
Advocates for victims describe strangulation as the “pinnacle” of abuse, and one study has shown it can be a predictor of future violence and lethality.
That day, Matthew was charged with simple domestic violence, a misdemeanor.
The state’s domestic violence law mandates strangulation — and even an attempt to strangle — be considered an aggravating factor, or a felony. But in many cases across Mississippi, abusers aren’t charged with felonies, according to some law enforcement and advocates for domestic violence victims. They say strangulation is considered difficult to prosecute in court.
The issue is a complicated one, said Ward Calhoun, chief deputy of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.
“This (training opportunity) came along as a good opportunity because it is a topic that is misunderstood to some degree by everybody,” Calhoun said.
Calhoun said the training is not related to the Tucker case, and the department prioritizes domestic violence-related training regardless.
-- Article credit to Kate Royals of Mississippi Today --
