Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Police: Maine man killed wife, 2 kids, self (http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/06/13/20110613maine-family-shooting.html)

This was a case where a woman did everything proper. Restraining order, friends and family on the lookout, etc. She even had the police check on her daily because of the restraining order. One morning, on the regular daily check, officer hears gunshots. No need for any more details.

I don't know if it would have helped in this case, but learn how to protect yourself and your kids if you are not already prepared. There is evil out there and sometimes it comes to your house.

Like gun control laws, restraining orders only work if people are willing to obey them.

I've always wondered though about those situations. What was so attractive about the sumbitch that they married them in the first place?

Like gun control laws, restraining orders only work if people are willing to obey them.


I agree. I probably shouldn't say this but I'm not a huge advocate of them. I tell people to get them because I'm required to and enforce them because I am required to but the truth is they are usually just used as tools to get one over on the other person. I wish judges would see this so they would stop giving them out like candy.

If someone is hellbent on killing or harming someone they will do it, regardless of if a judge says they can't.

I agree. I probably shouldn't say this but I'm not a huge advocate of them.

They do work with a lot of people though. It's not very often that one actually does kill the other and for a number of people, going to jail for the first offense gets their attention. Breaking up is really hard to do for some folks.

I do believe that since the firearm restrictions came about, judges should be more restrictive on how they issue them. There are too many consequences for someone based just on no evidence at all, really. Well, in reality, I think the firearms restriction is BS. It's another toothless gun control law that only affects law abiding people anyway. I would hate to be a cop with a really pissed off soon to be ex.

They do work with a lot of people though. It's not very often that one actually does kill the other and for a number of people, going to jail for the first offense gets their attention. Breaking up is really hard to do for some folks.

I do believe that since the firearm restrictions came about, judges should be more restrictive on how they issue them. There are too many consequences for someone based just on no evidence at all, really. Well, in reality, I think the firearms restriction is BS. It's another toothless gun control law that only affects law abiding people anyway. I would hate to be a cop with a really pissed off soon to be ex.

Yeah I can agree it does work to a point. We have way more active PFA's then we have violations. That's a good thing. I think I just get jaded by the people who use it to work the system. That's not the intent.

I still can't get over the one at my last job. The conditions were that a married couple could live together but not harass each other. Luckily they didn't abuse it but how easily they could have. I'd imagine if more cops became judges there would be less PFA's issued. I'm not so much ripping on judges, I think alot of them mean well, but they just don't have strong BS detectors.

I still can't get over the one at my last job. The conditions were that a married couple could live together but not harass each other. Luckily they didn't abuse it but how easily they could have.

A judge here wouldn't issue a restraining order under those conditions. They have to be living apart and as I recall, the required distance to maintain is something like 150 feet.

Oregon isn't as bad as some, I guess. You can't get a restraining order against anyone unless you lived together at some point. The gun thing bothers me more than anything. Some dip seems to believe if you take away the legitimately owned firearms, there is less chance one spouse will shoot the other. Just before I retired, a kid on my department started a divorce proceeding and his bride went to the judge and got a restraining order. He got it rescinded, but not before he had a lot of problems because he wasn't allowed to have a gun.

To be honest though, I've seen some cops do really dumb things when going through divorces so I can see why one might be issued against one until he cooled down. But they don't need to take their guns away.

That particular one was the only one I've seen where it didn't evict the defendant. That was in 2009, the rules may have changed since then. I don't know for sure because a PFA is technically considered a civil document here so it likely wouldn't be in our legal updates.

As for the guns,same thing as earlier, they'll get the gun if they really want their s.o. dead.