Many suggestions have now been made about what else could be done.
Why weren't the officers working to be relatable to Gabby as well?
They were trying to de-escalate only, having determined that this was just a volatile young couple including a dramatic, draining girl and her boyfriend who lost patience with her but was doing the best he could given "crazy chick"...that is the only explanation for ignoring the following in the context of a physical, violent interaction reported and witnessed by several people including LE:
- Both of them have visible scratches and redness. red flag
- Both admit to having put hands on the other. red flag
- He downplays what he did even while admitting it red flag
- She throws herself under the bus - not just for the physical violence, but also how it was her fault that he got mad at her. [clear sign of warped thinking, and not contradicted by him, confirming a strange dynamic] red flag
- She was seen hanging out of the van window (or whatever - that he locked her out). (iirc) red flag
- She stated she was scared he was going to drive off without her. red flag
- Based on general knowledge about reasonable safety concerns for a young woman (a small one, too, clearly not from there), you know that it is reasonable to be afraid of being left alone in that position. And as above, he has already locked her out/threatened to leave her behind. So this is a guy who has deliberately behaved in a way to frighten his girlfriend, both emotionally and physically. From this, you are looking at a guy who would choose to make his girlfriend afraid for her safety. red flag
- He drove very fast in a place he didn't know, while having a physical fight. (dangerous behavior) red flag
But LE decided to ignore all of those flags, as well as basic information about domestic violence, including common behaviors of abusers and victims.
LE approaches to DV can make a huge difference. If this were a couple residing in a town, historical police records that are
accurate can support arrest/incarceration, ideally before a death. Better and more intense support and encouragement could be offered to victims, especially repeat victims. Sussing the real story and offering support to the
real victim can be enough to prompt a victim to leave/seek help. Time in jail for an abuser can flip on a lightbulb about how far the relationship has fallen away from normal or healthy.
I don't want my LE to shrug their shoulders when it comes to violence,
especially the kind of violence that, more than any other kind, thrives behind closed doors. It requires a harder look.
