CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Chesterfield Police say the majority of their homicide cases spark from relationship problems or violence, often left unreported.
Over Labor Day Weekend, a shooting in Chesterfield left a 22-year-old dead and a 20-year-old behind bars. Police say the two were known to each other, and the family of the victim says the two had been in a relationship periodically for years.
It’s a snapshot of what Chesterfield Police are seeing more frequently – domestic incidents turned deadly.
“Just in general, the calls for service in Chesterfield has risen over the last couple of years, that’s just due to population growth and things of that nature,” said Lieutenant John Payne Jr. with Chesterfield Police’s Vulnerable Populations Division.
Lt. Payne Jr. says most victims do not realize they can report what’s called “Intimate Partner Violence,” or IPV, which may involve a past or present former spouse or dating partner.
WTVRHe also said those who do report acts of domestic violence and opt for an Emergency Protective Order (EPO) sometimes do not extend them past their court-ordered time, which is typically 72 hours.