Posted On : 8/1/2016 4:53:58 AM
A Utah County Sheriff’s Office Deputy handled a difficult domestic violence case where a woman assaulted her husband. This Deputy’s actions are among the things that are good in law enforcement.
On July 23, just after 7:00 PM, Deputy Justin Gordon, with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a report of an assault in Payson Canyon. A woman and her husband were at a family outing in the canyon when the woman, who was intoxicated, became belligerent and angry. They left with their 2 year old and 2 month old sons. While driving down the canyon the woman assaulted her husband. After she tried to get out of the car while it was moving the husband stopped and called police. Deputy Gordon met with and spoke to the husband and wife. While investigating this case he had the man and woman provide written statements. As the woman wrote her statement Deputy Gordon held her 2 month old son and fed him a bottle. The attached picture shows this.
In cases involving domestic violence Deputies have important responsibilities. First and foremost is protect any victims. In this case the woman was responsible and she assaulted her husband in the presence of their two children. The law requires that the primary aggressor in any domestic violence case be arrested or cited. The Deputy must also insure that there will not be further risk to any victims. The suspect in this case is also a nursing mother. Deputy Gordon took measures to insure that the woman would not be a continuing threat to her husband. He drove her from Payson Canyon, in the south end of Utah County, to a business in the north end of Utah County where he released her to other family members.
Deputy Gordon could have just taken this woman to jail. And he did not have to feed the bottle to the infant. And he was not obligated to make arrangements for her to be released to a family member. He did this, at least in part, to help facilitate the mother’s ability to nurse and nurture her child. And hopefully allow this woman to re-evaluate her actions on that day.