On Sunday, July 9, New York State Trooper Joel R. Davis, 36,
responded to a call of shots fired during a domestic dispute in Jefferson
County. While approaching the residence, Trooper Davis was shot once and
killed. The suspect, 32-year-old Justin D. Walters, surrendered to other State
Troopers without incident. Walters is an active duty Army infantryman who is
stationed at Fort Drum. Walters' wife,
27-year-old Nichole V. Walters, was also found deceased at the scene. Police understand the risks and yet do the job
just the same.
For the past 30+ years, as a member of the news media, I’ve
interacted with police on a routine basis. In the 1980’s, you physically had to
walk inside the police station to review the blotter. I liked that. It was a
chance to personally engage with officers. Get to know them. Get the back story
on cases. Over the years, police, deputies, troopers have all said pretty much
the same thing. Domestic violence calls concern them. The situation, most have
said, can change in a heartbeat. Beyond the obvious risk to victims, emotional
and physical, the safety of officers is a true concern.
In the 1970’s, ‘wife-beatings’ and other domestic and family
struggles were largely swept under the rug. That statement, I should add, is a
personal opinion based on childhood memories. Today, and thankfully, the laws
have expanded and these calls are taken with the seriousness they deserve.
WRN reached out to several law enforcement agencies in
Allegany County. As they respond, I’ll expand this post.
Wellsville Police
Police Chief Tim O’Grady told us that domestic violence
calls (and mental health calls) are some of the most dangerous cases officers’
responder to. O’Grady said, “The concerns are the unpredictability of domestic
incident calls. The dispatchers try to
gather and convey as much information as they can before officers arrive
on-scene but it’s always dangerous when you approach a residence and the
occupants are aware of your impending arrival.”
What precautions do Wellsville Police officers take? O’Grady:
“In the police academy, officers are instructed on proper response to calls
that take place at residences. They go
over things like placement of the patrol vehicle, to officer approach to the
residence, to knocking on the door.
Nothing can be taken for granted, however the officers are always at a
disadvantage because of the unknown. It
is our department policy to have at least two officers respond to domestic
incidents that are “in progress”. I have
instructed our officer’s to call for assistance from the State Police,
Sheriff’s Office or a neighboring agency if there is only one officer
working. Our job is the preservation of
life, so unfortunately a two officer response may not be feasible.”
Andover Police
The Andover Police Department, like many smaller agencies,
often only have a single officer on duty. Police Chief Jim Rumfelt agreed that
responding to domestic violence calls are especially dangerous. “It’s the
unknown,” Rumfelt said. “These calls are so unpredictable,” he added.
As we hear from other agencies, we’ll share their responses
and concerns.
If you are or have been a victim of domestic violence, reach
out. Help is available.
The State And
National Domestic Violence Hotline Numbers Are:
-New York State Domestic Violence 24 Hour Hotline (English
& español/Multi-language accessibility): 1-800-942-6906 or 711 for Deaf or
Hard of Hearing
-National Domestic Violence 24 Hour Hotline 1-800-799-7233
or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
For more information, click HERE.
