End of Watch

A Kentucky state trooper was murdered this week. A father of three. A husband. A few days shy of 29. Another end of watch, far too soon.

The man who killed him has a “lengthy criminal history” that includes domestic violence and coercion of a witness.

I wonder how scared she was.

I wonder if she was asked the right questions.

I don’t know her name or her story, but I know that men like him have one thing in common: they escalate.

He’s 51.

I wonder how many women were scared of him.

I wonder how many women he hurt.

I wonder how many women he strangled.

I wonder how many intervention points existed between his first offense and his most recent.

I wonder how many cops, prosecutors, and judges failed along the way.

I wonder if my abuser will be stopped before another person dies. Another woman. Another cop.

I wonder how many times his wife has been called a cunt by now. Or told to fix her face. Or ordered to walk on eggshells or else.

It will get worse. He will escalate. And I will never forget the cops, prosecutors, and judges who have already failed along the way.