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By Jason Kotowski
The Bakersfield Californian
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The unpredictable nature of domestic disturbance calls makes them among the most dangerous situations that a law enforcement officer handles.
Just this weekend, Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Moore suffered serious injuries responding to a domestic disturbance when the suspect opened fire with a shotgun. Moore was in serious but stable condition at Kern Medical Center on Monday after undergoing surgery.
He suffered injuries to his face, hands, arms, neck and left eye, deputies said. Nevertheless, he was in good spirits and was expected to be released later this week, according to deputies.
Senior Deputy Michael Whorf said that, in general, traffic collisions are the number one cause of death among law enforcement. Number two are domestic disturbance calls.
“It’s obviously a very volatile situation when we go to those calls,” Whorf said.
There are a number of factors that play into a domestic disturbance. Children are likely involved or in the house, victims can be reluctant to talk and tempers are often running high.
Bakersfield police Sgt. Greg Terry said the most dangerous calls are the ones involving weapons, and there are weapons everywhere inside a person’s home. They can be something as simple as kitchen utensils. At times, there are guns.
And in many instances, alcohol plays a role.
“It makes the job of intervening and investigating that much more difficult,” Terry said.
He said there have been times when victims of domestic violence attack police because they don’t want officers to take their spouse away.
Sometimes, as in Moore’s shooting, there are extreme displays of violence.
Moore was shot shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday in the 300 block of 11th Street in McFarland, deputies said. A woman at the house had been shot and an armed suspect, Juan Valdez Jr., remained in the house.
Valdez confronted Moore and shot him. Valdez later surrendered after more deputies arrived and was booked on a number of charges, including attempted murder, deputies said.
Five children aged 6 to 13 were found uninjured inside the home.
“Why some (domestic disturbances) turn out this way I don’t know,” Whorf said.
The last case of an officer being shot happened Feb. 9 when Bakersfield police Officer Dennis Eddy was shot in his right leg, which was eventually amputated. The alleged shooter, Leon Anderson Jr., was shot and killed by other officers.
The most recent law enforcement deaths have been the result of traffic crashes.
Deputy James Throne was killed on May 23 when he was broadsided by another deputy while responding to a report of a robbery. Throne had pulled out in front of the other deputy, according to a California Highway Patrol accident report.
On Nov. 14, 2006, Deputy Joe Hudnall was killed in a head-on collision in the Kern River Canyon that forced his sheriff’s vehicle off the edge of a steep canyon ravine. Attorney Daniel Patrick Willsey was charged with having methamphetamine in his possession and in his system when his car collided with Hudnall’s.
Copyright 2008 The Bakersfield Californian