What does domestic violence have in common with police brutality? Unfortunately too much! Lately there have been cases of domestic violence being committed by police officers against their wives. In New York there will be a trial soon regarding a wife whose husband was a police officer who frequently aimed a gun at her. The last time, he did this, she got a hold of another of his guns and beat him to it by shooting him to death.
We all hear more often than not how women stick with their abusive husbands and how hard it is for these women to leave, especially if they have children. Well, it's probably twice as hard to leave your abusive husband if he is a cop and has control of his weapon 24 hours a day! I knew of a prison guard who abused 3 of his wives. Luckily they were able to leave him! Which makes me think that this is just not limited to police, but also to any men that wear a uniform and carry a gun!
Another issue that is against abused wives of police officers is that fellow police officers side with him. If a wife calls for help, one of her husband's buddies answers to her desperate call for help. We all know how cops cover each other's backs. This makes it relatively impossible for the wife to get police protection and even worse, an officer to help her case against her abusive husband in court. This is another way of police brutality, not in the streets but in our courtrooms.
Domestic violence is a national problem and if it is committed by a cop against his own wife, it's much worse! Special attention must be taken for women in this situation. Courts need to somehow change procedures so that domestically abused women married to police officers, get a fair trial.
