domestic violence

She wanted to see that ass hole behind bars: the father of her unborn child, her boyfriend of six months, a parolee out of county prison, the man who had made her left temple red and swollen with an open hand "plenty of times. I just never said nothin or called the police or any of that. but now he crossed the line. that bastard." She was crying. "I have to do something. that bastard! I knew he was cheating."

He admitted it. She threw his beer on the ground. He did what he does. She called the police. We found her outside crying and bruised. By that time he was gone. So we waited for her to pack her things and then took her somewhere safe.

"Have you caught him yet?"

No. I was only calling back to ask if she wanted the report to be confidential, that way, he could never find out where she went to stay.

"Yeah, I want all that confidential stuff, everything. He's crazy."

"I don't know, I could be wrong" my training officer said later that night as we were driving back to the station to finish filing the restraining order. "These women though... you'll see, in a few days or maybe next week, she'll be back with him."