In March of 2013, a former Franklin County (Virginia) deputy made headlines when he was sentenced to three life terms plus 11 years for the murder of his former wife. Jonathan Agee also wounded a Virginia State Trooper who tried to arrest him. Agee will be eligible for parole when he is 60 years of age. He was 34 at the time of sentencing.
According to news reports, Agee’s former wife, Jennifer, and the injured trooper, Sgt. Matthew Brannock, weren’t the only ones to lose when the deputy went on his rampage: Agee’s boss, former sheriff Ewell Hunt, was also charged with misconduct in connection with the incident. Hunt was convicted of failing to properly notify authorities of the danger Agee presented after he learned Agee was armed and searching for Jennifer.
I don’t know why former sheriff Hunt delayed putting out a BOLO for the armed and enraged Agee, but I’ll hazard a guess he didn’t believe things would escalate as far as they did. Hunt tragically miscalculated. This incident should serve as a good reminder for other agencies when officers are suspected of committing domestic abuse.
Just as the infamous elevator incident involving the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice tarnished the image of professional sports, law enforcement officers who resort to domestic violence color the image of the entire profession. It’s time for police to stop extending the honor of “brotherhood” and “sisterhood” to abusive cops.
As every officer who has ever worn a uniform knows, domestic violence calls are some of the toughest ones dispatched. Incidents involving men and women who are trained in the art of violence — weapons use, take-down tactics, self-defense — are much more dangerous than the average batterers because they are much more deadly. We have access to weapons; we have the means; we have the capability; and, in some cases, we have the complicity of our fellow officers. This has to end.
No matter how much we may care for the officers at our backs, if they’re beating or otherwise abusing their partners and we so much as suspect it and do nothing, we’re as guilty of domestic abuse as they are. Furthermore, supervisors and police executives who believe they can cover up these incidents should take a lesson from former sheriff Hunt: attempts to minimize domestic abuse can be both tragic and career-ending. Thanks to failures in the system, there are kids who will grow up without their mother or father in their lives and a state trooper who still suffers the physical and emotional scars that accompany being wounded in the line of duty.
Police innovation comes through study. We study crime patterns, traffic movement, personnel management, criminal behavior, community interaction, technology and a whole host of disciplines that make us better officers and turn our communities into better places to live and work. Holding domestic abuse up to the light of day is one way a department can get help for those who need it, weed out those unsuited for police work and nip domestic battering in the bud.
Agencies should have written policies on domestic abuse within its ranks, as well as clear-cut guidelines for officers confronted with the problem. Officers should be trained to spot warning signs and made to understand that by shielding those who step beyond civilized bounds, they’re endangering the innocent —certainly at odds with the police mission.
A small percentage of law enforcement officers are abusive, but like the ones who steal or beat a helpless prisoner, they capture the spotlight and taint the thousands of noble men and women who wear the badge. It’s time to stop that cycle.
