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Law

State Attorney General Disturbed By Increasing Domestic Violence Deaths

WUNC | By Gurnal Scott
Published April 10, 2013 at 6:00 AM EDT
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N.C. Democratic Party

State Attorney General Roy Cooper says he's concerned about an increase in domestic violence deaths in North Carolina last year. 

State law requires police agencies to report domestic violence deaths to the SBI.  Cooper says the 122 deaths last year are 16 more than in 2011.  He called the increase "disturbing" and urged the state to do more to stop these crimes before they happen. Wake County had the highest number of domestic violence deaths at 11, followed by Mecklenburg and Guilford counties with eight and six respectively. 

Cooper says the public can help diffuse potentially dangerous or deadly domestic confrontations.  "Law enforcement officers know how much damage domestic violence  does to families in their communities," he said in a news release.  "Responding quickly when abusers violate protective orders can help save lives."

Cooper says legislation could help curb domestic abuse.   House Bill 559 would have local schools create policies on dating violence and add information on recognizing abuse to public school health classes.

LawDomestic ViolenceNC Department of JusticeSBIRoy Cooper
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Gurnal Scott
Gurnal Scott joined North Carolina Public Radio in March 2012 after several stops in radio and television. After graduating from the College of Charleston in his South Carolina hometown, he began his career in radio there. He started as a sports reporter at News/Talk Radio WTMA and won five Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 1997, Gurnal moved on to television as general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for WCSC-TV in Charleston. He anchored the market's top-rated weekend newscasts until leaving Charleston for Memphis, TN in 2002. Gurnal worked at WPTY-TV for two years before returning to his roots in radio. He joined the staff of Memphis' NewsRadio 600 WREC in 2004 eventually rising to News Director. In 2006, Raleigh news radio station WPTF came calling and he became the station's chief correspondent. Gurnal’s reporting has been honored by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the North Carolina Associated Press, and the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas.
See stories by Gurnal Scott
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