Our presenters were Sara Dobbyn, Trainer/Intern Coordinator of Turning Point and David Herrington, whose daughter was a victim of domestic violence.
Ms. Dobbyn has been with Turning Point for 14 years and her duties include overseeing the survivor speaker bureau. She noted that the services (some through Zoom) and shelters continue to operate during the pandemic.
Mr. Herrington described his daughter, Lara, as your classic overachiever, She was the president of NHS and choir in high school, became a lawyer and was an Air Force Jag for 5 years, became a partner at her Lapeer, MI law firm in one year, and was president of the Lapeer County Bar Association and Lapeer’s historical society. He was proud to have her as a daughter.
Lara was married while in the Air Force and had three children between the years 2001 and 2006. Mr. Herrington didn’t notice any marital problems until 2008, when he noticed how belittling and controlling her husband could be.
The husband was arrested in 2010 for physically trying to take the phone out of Lara’s hand. He was ordered to attend AA, anger management, and get rid of any guns. He barely attended any meetings and did not turn in any guns.
On December 6, 2011, an argument resulted in Lara and her son locking themselves in a room. The husband grabbed a shotgun and shot the door open, hitting Lara and the son. He then took Lara outside, killing her and turning the gun on himself.
Mr. Herrington and his wife took in their three grandchildren at ages 10, 8, and 5 and is proud to report that all are doing well today at 18, 16, and 14. He believes that his faith has helped tremendously in raising these children and it upsets him greatly that his daughter is not able to see them grow up.
Ms. Dobbyn noted that the batterer in a domestic violence situation is controlling and not angry. If you think someone might be a victim, look for signs of isolation, looking scared when together, and constantly being put down. To learn more about Turning Point, please go to www.turningpointmacomb.org.