Another recent domestic violence killing is a painful reminder of a crisis taking place in Tennessee.
The state ranks in the top five in the nation for men killing women in domestic violence.
In many cases the victims are afraid to get help, for fear of retaliation. But, there are people out there who are ready and willing to help.
Braden Goveia lives on Southside Court. From his front porch, he can see the home where Tonya Davis was shot by her husband, Cleveland Bell.
“You think about family differently,” said Goveia. “I can see the front door (where the victim was shot) when I’m reading today. It's just a hard place to be.”
Bell admitted, the shooting stemmed from a heated argument.
“I had never seen anything odd going on in this neighborhood. No rumors, no sounds, no real arguing,” Goveia said.
Those who work closes with domestic violence cases know this trend is far too common in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported more than 77,000 domestic violence cases in 2017. A little more than 70 percent of the victims are women.
Metro police ask potential victims a series of questions to determine their risk of being killed.
“Has she been strangled? Has she had a weapon held against her? And if certain boxes are checked they will put that victim with our crisis line,” Michelle Mowery Johnson with the YWCA in Nashville said. “It is an epidemic. It is a crisis in this community, and we all have to work together to recognize the signs.
Johnson says their crisis hotline gets more than 6,000 calls a year.
“The deadliest time for a person leaving a domestic violence situation is when they are trying to leave, trying to get out. Domestic violence is all about power and control,” she said.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an abusive relationship, you can contact the YWCA Domestic Violence Hotline at (615) 242-1199 or (800) 334-4628.
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