Resources for domestic violence victims

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Last Thursday, six people died in a murder-suicide in Marion County.

Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett said Gary Barnett is suspected of killing his ex-wife and other members of her family.

In an affidavit we obtained from Marion County, Regina Barnett, one of the victims, said, “I am afraid that my husband is going to get drunk and shoot me.”

Unfortunately, she is far from the only one to experience the devastating consequences of domestic violence.

The home on Pine Road in Sequatchie that was the site of a murder-suicide Thursday night.

Here’s what you can do in case you find yourself in this situation. 

A local attorney, Angela Larkins said, “I think the first thing to point out is that it can be women or men who need the orders of protection, it is not just limited to women because it can be in any circumstance like that.”

There are two primary legal remedies that domestic violence victims can take in dangerous situations.

These are orders of protection and restraining order.

The difference between these legal protections is your relationship to your abuser.

An order of protection is only granted if you have a relationship with the abuser and they have done some sort of actual or threatened physical harm or stalking.

Larkins said, “The order of protection then goes straight to a database in my understanding that the sheriff’s office has that if a person is arrested, they go immediately to jail and there’s immediately criminal charges.”

A restraining order does not have those same protections, but can be filed against anyone deemed threatening.

Anyone can go into their county courthouse to file for these protections.

Even if granted, reduction of harm is not guaranteed.

Larkins said, “You wouldn’t let that person know where you are, or anybody who you know that may see that person. You’d let people know that there was this order, so you would have people helping to look out for you. It may mean that even though you have the order of protection, you change your routine, or you go stay at somebody else’s house for a while.”

For domestic violence victims, there are a variety of resources to help them out in their situations.

One such organization is the Partnership for Families, Children, and Adults who have victim support services such as emergency shelter, court advocacy programs, and counseling.

The manager for Partnership’s Victim Support Services, Hannah Oliver, said, “Then also provide that in-person to what for us may not sound like a big deal, can be a huge deal for someone who is a survivor of domestic violence, like walking into the courtroom to file that order of protection, or going into that court hearing knowing your abuser was at the stand.”

Safety is their number one goal, but they see other encouraging signs as well.

Oliver said, “What we see a lot of times is, not only are we helping families find immediate safety, but we’re also helping empower them, and get back some of that control, back that autonomy and voice they lost in that relationship.”

The Partnership has agreements with nearly 50 shelters in our area to help those in need.

They operate a 24-hour hotline if you need assistance.