Patrolman Robert T. Frazier was shot and killed on April 30, 1875, while attempting to arrest Joe Reed for assaulting his wife. He was the first officer killed in the line of duty from the Nashville Police Department; unfortunately, he would not be the last. While investigating this domestic violence call, Officer Frazier told Reed he was being sent to the workhouse. Reed refused to go and pulled a small pistol from his pocket. He shot Patrolman Frazier, killing him. Reed fled the scene, but was arrested several minutes later.1 Since that time, over 138 years later, have law enforcement leaders done enough to educate young officers in understanding the connection between domestic violence and officers’ personal safety?
Personal experience and studies show that most domestic violence homicides occur while victims are attempting to leave or after they have left an abusive relationship. Additionally, of those victims, 76 percent of femicide cases involved at least one episode of stalking within 12 months prior to the murder and 85 percent of attempted femicide cases involved one episode of stalking within that same period.
