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I rest my case on “certifiably insane protection orders”. . . .
This article is a quiz (answers below). Do this:
A. Put events in order.
B. What piece of the puzzle doesn’t “fit” and which pieces are missing?
C. Keeping this within Kansas, bring this case history to Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau, recently found sponsoring (yet another) Fatherhood act of some sort in Kansas and ask for commentary. Request permission to record, and share on youtube with the rest of us, why a man like this needed to be within cutting/shooting range of his 21 month old daughter. (Because if he didn’t get this, someone was going to pay, bad?). And how the (decade-plus) of prior fatherhood initiatives may or may not have contributed to this young man’s sense that after punching XXX officers and threatening to slit the throat of his wife, for calling for help, society still owed him something…
D. Rewrite the headline, more appropriately reflecting the crucial issues in the case.
And then Alternately
E-1. Pray to the tooth fairy that this isn’t you or anyone you know and/or recite after me:
E-2. “it spiraled out of control. We had no idea. It spiraled out of control. The real social crisis of our time is fatherlessness, not lawlessness. It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Nevertheless, the Feds + faith-based + local agencies will fix this situation. We WILL eradicate violence against women and murder by men if we JUST try harder, train more professionals, and dump some dollars in that direction. We WILL, right??”
The children are our future. Now, Where’s that Valium?
. . . (and they married WHY???)
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BY TIM POTTER
The Wichita Eagle
The 27-year-old man accused this week of ambushing a Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputy had a history of violence against his ex-wife — and against officers.
{{For why the word “had” is used, see 2nd article, below}}
In 2005, Richard Lyons’ ex-wife, Jenifer, accused him of holding a hunting knife to her throat and threatening to kill her after she called 911, an affidavit filed in Sedgwick County District Court said.
Lyons pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and served several months in the county jail followed by about 16 months in a state prison.
He was released on parole on March 2, 2007. His sentence and parole supervision ended on April 11, 2008, records show.
In March 2005, four Wichita police officers responded to a report of a disturbance with a knife at his ex-wife’s home in the 900 block of South Waverly, in southeast Wichita.
Lyons had arrived and “demanded she give him their infant daughter,” the affidavit said.
She reported that they argued and that after she called 911, Lyons held a 4- to 6-inch knife blade to her throat and threatened her. The knife reportedly came from a sheath attached to his pants.
“Jenifer said she hung up the phone because she was in fear for her life and believed Richard would carry out his threat,” said the document, used to bring the felony aggravated assault charge against Lyons.
On the 911 call, a male voice could be heard saying, “I will cut you,” the affidavit said.
When he went to get a diaper bag in another part of the house, his ex-wife grabbed her two children and fled, the affidavit said.
At the home, officers found signs of a disturbance, and when they tried to arrest Lyons, he punched two officers, the document said.
Although prosecutors also initially charged him with two counts of misdemeanor battery against an officer, those two charges were dismissed after he agreed to plead guilty to the more serious charge of aggravated assault, records show.
His ex-wife obtained a protection-from-abuse order against Lyons.
In April 2005, about a month after the incident involving his ex-wife, court records show Lyons was living at the house where he is accused of shooting Deputy Brian Etheridge this week — first with a rifle and then with the deputy’s own gun.
Etheridge was responding to a 911 call from the South Rock Road residence, reporting a theft — a report authorities now think was concocted.
In Lyons’ 2005 divorce case, court records say he was working for Colortime in El Dorado at the time. The court at one point required him to pay $234 a month in child support.
At another point in 2005, Lyons temporarily lost visitation with his 1 1/2-year-old daughter because of the incident involving his ex-wife.
On Tuesday, a man who said he was Lyons’ father declined to comment.
Lyons’ ex-wife could not be reached.
In September 2003, about two years before the knife incident, Lyons was convicted of misdemeanor battery against an officer.
In the years before that, he had been convicted of felony criminal threat and misdemeanor domestic battery and criminal damage to property, records show.
As a juvenile, he had misdemeanor convictions dating to 1995, when he was 12, for criminal damage to property.
Wichita school district records show that Lyons withdrew from Metro Boulevard Alternative High School in July 2002.
Contributing: Hurst Laviana of The Eagle Reach Tim Potter at 316-268-6684 or tpotter@wichitaeagle.com.
QUIZ ANSWERS (mine) BELOW: (I interspersed A & B as dialogue)
Events, apparent order (quite different from article, which jumps around considerably)
- 1995 Juvenile Richard Lyons, age 12, has misdemeanor convictions for criminal damage to property, ergo he was born about 1983.
- July 2002, Lyons withdraws from alternative high school (age, about 19)
- Between age of majority (2001?) and 2003, he has convictions for felony criminal threat AND misdemeanor domestic battery, meaning, probably against a WIFE or GIRLFRIEND. This is called “domestic violence,” folks. SEE 1994 VAWA Act.
- ??? somewhere in there he gets married to Jenifer Lyons.
- Sept. 2003, misdemeanor Battery against an officer.
- Somewhere in 2003 Jenifer gives birth to his child. (Note: Physical assaults sometimes begin with pregnancy. Mine did).
- Somewhere between then and 2005, they get divorced. (Given the assaults, probably understandable. What’s not quite understandable is why they got married, unless the pregnancy PLUS her lack of other options to survive (i.e., HER family of origin support), PLUS no doubt some of this federal pushing of marriage on everyone…?? Who knows. Maybe they wanted to. Maybe HER household (how old was she?) was a place she needed to get out of.
- By 2005, he has a child support order in place and is actually, it appears working. Apparently they’ve entered the family court system somehow, I’d guess. The man is all of 22 years old, so this is a good thing and possibly a change for him?
- THIS IS TAKING LONGER THAN I PLANNED.
- OBVIOUSLY they had “visitation” (unsupervised, obviously). Note: He assaults women AND officers, felony-style, and threatenes (someone — seee above). He destroys property and punches policemen. NEVERTHELESS, an infant needs her Daddy. Daddies can be nurturers too. If we try hard enough, perhaps all of us (through funds, and social support and of course parenting classes) can transform this young man into a real nurturer before he kills someone for telling he can’t combine nurturing infants with wife assault.
Now in March 2005, things start getting, well, interesting:
- “In 2005, Richard Lyons’ ex-wife, Jenifer, accused him of holding a hunting knife to her throat and threatening to kill her after she called 911, an affidavit filed in Sedgwick County District Court said“
- HEre’s the account, I rearranged some sentences. Apparently by now there are 2 children (both his? Maybe not?)
- Lyons had arrived (EXCHANGE OF THE KIDS RIGHT? Here’s a CLASSIC CASE involving DV, and no help with the exchange. Yes, I’d imagine this was in family law system already, totally oblivious (per se!) to the potential danger of the situation, despite lethality assessments and DV literature dating back to at least 1985 (Barbara J. HART), 1989 (Family Visitation Centers started in Duluth Minnesota), 1994 (Violence Against Women Act) and all kinds of other literature. THis hadn’t reaached the “heartland” yet, I guess. ) and “demanded she give him their infant daughter,” the affidavit said. ((OMISSION – was there a custody/visitation in order or not? if so, was it clear and specific, as many states require (but don’t practice) cases involving DV be, to avoid incidents like this? If it WAS clear and specific, was his demand in compliance with or NOT in compliance with that order? As they say, and we see, this isn’t typically a guy that plays by the rules, not even the rules for graduating from high school, or refraining from damaing others’ propery. We’ll, he’s about graduate from punching officers to putting a knife to his wife’s throat. I wonder if this was the first time….)
- She reported that they argued {{POSSIBLY OVER WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS HIS TIME TO SEE HIS DAUGHTER?}} and that after she called 911, {{POSSIBLY THE ARGUMENT CONTAINED SOME THREAT OR PHYSICAL ELEMENTS?}} Lyons held a 4- to 6-inch knife blade to her throat and threatened her. The knife reportedly came from a sheath attached to his pants. {{May I speculate that perhaps Mrs. Lyons was aware that Mr. Lyons sometimes carried knives, and this may have contributed to her decision to call 911, even if the argument was only “verbal” in nature?}}
- On the 911 call, a male voice could be heard saying, “I will cut you,” the affidavit said. (I’m going to assume this is “evidence” and it was his, not a responding officer’s. I will further assume that this was a criminal prosecution, because someone actually got ahold of that 911 call. GIVEN the history, was this a creditable threat? It appears to the reader that her report was accurate in this part. Contrary to the “false allegations” stigma associated with women reporting violence (or threats of it), ” because they want to get custody,” this report seems to have some merit.
- “Jenifer said she hung up the phone because she was in fear for her life and believed Richard would carry out his threat,” said the document, used to bring the felony aggravated assault charge against Lyons. {AS FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS SHOW, YES HE WAS CAPABLE OF AND WILLING TO COMMIT MURDER WHEN HE FELT WRONGED OR WAS ANGRY OR ?? SO HERE, SHE DROPS THE “911″ METHOD OF SELF PRESERVATION AND, if I may add, protecting her children, WITH HER KIDS OPTS FOR THE “FLEE” METHOD. Amazingly, a charge was actually filed. For why, possibly, read on.
- When he went to get a diaper bag in another part of the house, his ex-wife grabbed her two children and fled, the affidavit said. {{I have done this flee while he’s in the other part of the house routine, often enough}}
- HERE COME THE RESPONDING OFFICERS: In March 2005, four Wichita police officers responded to a report of a disturbance with a knife at his ex-wife’s home in the 900 block of South Waverly, in southeast Wichita. {{Officers KNOW domestic violence wih a weapon can be lethal. They didn’t send one custody evaluator, one parenting educator, one mediator, and one guardian ad litem, they sent FOUR officers, and I BET they were armed… Yet women are left to face this, sometimes weekly, without adequate protection.}}
- At the home, officers found signs of a disturbance, and when they tried to arrest Lyons, he punched two officers, the document said.
Not one but 2 officers. Tell them to thank Wade Horn, George Bush (Jr.), former President Clinton, present President Obama, (well, adjust for the year), and others for those punches to the face. Father-engagement. Healthy Families. . .. You’re in it. . . . . . . Were these male and female officers, I wonder, and which ones got punched. But in an incident, it could easily be any of them.
Moving on in our sequencing:
5. Prosecutors initially charged him with two counts of misdemeanor battery against an officer.
6. he agreed to plead guilty to the more serious charge of aggravated assault. (good move, as they saw evidence, and he was already heard on tape threatening to cut her.)
7. The lesser charges (above) were dismissed. Is this called a “plea-bargain?
8. His ex-wife obtained a protection-from-abuse order against Lyons. (((WHEN?? see last post on police reporting of incidents). Now? Or had she earlier? Criminal, or civil?)
NOW — figure out this timeline if you can:
9. Lyons pleaded guilty to aggravated assault (See 6, above. WHEN? WHAT MONTH 2005?) and
10. served several months in the county jail followed by about 16 months in a state prison.
March 2007 is 24 months from March 2005 (date of assault). Ergo “about 16 months” plus “several months” possibly does NOT add up to 24. How many people do this kind of mental math when reading leading bleeding headlines?
March 2005 (arguing, resulting in 911 call, threatening to slit wife’s throat in retaliation for calling 911, with 2 kids, one of them a toddler girl, in the home, Mom + 2 flee for safety, 4 police come, 2 of whom are punched) – March 2007 is most definitely 24.
The question is, what is “several” months? Is it 8, or 9 (8 + 16 = 24, right?) WHEN did he plea-bargain? After punching officers and threatening to kill wife was he then RELEASED in this foul mood? If he threatened to slit her throat and assaulted people who tried to help in March 2005, what kind of response might we expect after being sentenced, if he was released on bail?
11. He was released on parole on March 2, 2007.
12. His sentence and parole supervision ended on April 11, 2008, records show.
What this section of reporting does is to reassure that his crime (of — see above) was indeed punished properly. Or was it?
13. In April 2005, about a month after the incident involving his ex-wife, court records show Lyons was living at the house where he is accused of shooting Deputy Brian Etheridge this week — first with a rifle and then with the deputy’s own gun.
Omittting the obvious — after arrest (i’m going to hazard a guess that the 2 punched officers or their colleagues eventually handcufffed the guy) he was free on bail or own recognizance until arraignment and incarceration
YES, you read it right, finally. Threaten to slit her throat, punch TWO responding officers, and get out scot free, for a few months. This is an interesting sentence (I don’t operate under press deadlines, but still . . . . . the sentence bridges four years of time: 2005 & 2009!) Well, not quite scot free. He was punished with not seeing his daughter, “temporarily.” Wonder what time frame THAT word spans.
14. At another point in 2005, {{Can we get a hint which month?}} Lyons temporarily lost visitation with his 1 1/2-year-old daughter because of the incident involving his ex-wife.
When I filed for a DV restraining order with kickout, and we had the guns, knives and assaults thing, but not on officers — we got ALMOST 7 days with no visitation, as I recall. Perhaps at the most 14, as he had to find a place to live.
Now here is about the slain officer:
- Sheriff: Deputy was ambushed
- Suspect in deputy’s shooting had violent past
- Marriage came as a surprise to Johansson
- Deputy was quiet, funny, passionate about his work
- Opinion Line (Sept. 30)
- Robbers strike as police look for killer
- Deputy’s funeral set for Friday
- Sedgwick County Commission remembers slain deputy
- Opinion Line Extra (Sept. 30)
- Wichita man arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty
WICHITA – Richard Lyons set the trap shortly before noon on Monday by calling 911 to report a theft at his house.
He then hid in the shadows of a tree and brush in the backyard of a house in the 3600 block of South Rock Road with a high-powered rifle, authorities said Tuesday. He waited for a law enforcement officer to show up.
That happened to be Sedgwick County sheriff’s Deputy Brian Etheridge.
“It does appear to have been an ambush situation,” Sheriff Bob Hinshaw said Tuesday of the shooting death of Etheridge, 26, the first Sedgwick County deputy to die in the line of duty in 12 years.
Lyons, 27, was shot to death a few hours later in a field not far from the house in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers.
“It’s scary,” Hinshaw said. “It could have been any law enforcement officer… this was just a call to 911 to get any officer to respond.”
Investigators spent Monday night and Tuesday collecting shell casings and other evidence, Hinshaw said, piecing together a chain of events from what was left behind.
Based on that evidence, Hinshaw offered this account:
Lyons called 911 at 11:42 a.m. Etheridge was dispatched to the address just east of McConnell Air Force Base and radioed his arrival at 11:51 a.m.
When no one answered his knock on the front door, he asked dispatchers for contact information for the caller. He then walked around to the backyard of the house and saw no one.
Lyons was hiding in the shadows on the bright, sunny day, and opened fire with a .30-30 rifle — a weapon commonly used by deer hunters — when Etheridge turned his back as he was either approaching the back door or returning to the front of the house, Hinshaw said.
The bullet hit Etheridge in the back, penetrating his body armor and knocking him down. Lyons approached the fallen deputy and tried to fire his rifle again, but it malfunctioned.
He took Etheridge’s gun and shot him in the leg before disappearing.
Etheridge radioed for help, and scores of law enforcement officers from throughout the metropolitan area converged on the scene.
The wounded deputy was alert and communicating with the first officers on the scene, Hinshaw said, but their priority at that time was his medical care — not gathering information about the suspect.
Escorted by patrol cars, an ambulance raced Etheridge to Wesley Medical Center, where he underwent surgery.
Authorities established a one-mile perimeter around the house and urged residents inside that area to leave if possible.
Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams said authorities had information indicating Lyons was likely inside the house, so that address remained the focus of their attention even as law enforcement officers combed outlying areas within the perimeter.
Tear gas was deployed twice into the house in attempt to flush the suspect out, Williams said, and SWAT team members were preparing to blast open the front door at about 5:15 p.m. when authorities were notified that the suspect had been spotted hiding near a tree row in a nearby field.
Agents from the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were patrolling a field in a Humvee when one of the officers spotted Lyons’ leg as he lay on the ground.
They stopped the Humvee, and Lyons stood up and fired at the vehicle with the deputy’s handgun. He then began running, firing several more shots as the ATF agents and KHP officers ran after him.
The law enforcement officers returned fire, striking Lyons “multiple times,” Hinshaw said.
Lyons was taken to Wesley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m.
Investigators hope to talk to neighbors and relatives of Lyons, Hinshaw said, but he doesn’t expect every question raised by the shooting to be answered.
“We may never know what the motive is,” he said.
Results of the investigation, including the use of force, will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
Flags at Wichita City Hall and other city buildings have been lowered to half staff in honor of Etheridge. They will remain at half staff through Friday, the day of Etheridge’s funeral.
“We’re just really shocked and saddened by what has happened,” Mayor Carl Brewer said. “It has affected all of our law enforcement agencies.”
Brewer said the city is providing counselors for police officers who were involved in the shoot-out and others who may be shaken by the violence.
“Every time they make a stop or enter a house, they don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “This demonstrated just how much risk there is.”
Reach Stan Finger at 316-268-6437 or sfinger@wichitaeagle.com.
FIRST 911 — from a woman — consequence, she’s threatened and has to flee for her life, BUT her ex-husband IS jailed — for about 2 years, or less.
SECOND 911 — from the formerly jailed young man (27 yrs old is young) — his ambush. SOMEONE was going to pay. Was Etheridge (the officer killed) a responding officer in the former arrest, or just anyone in uniform would do? Was he upset at what had happened in prison?
Was this suicide by cop? Sounds like possibly, to me.
WOULD IT HAVE PLAYED OUT DIFFERENTLY IF THE COUPLE HAD STAYED TOGETHER, OR WOULD SHE BE A STATISTIC, NOT THE OFFICER?
ANYONE WANT TO DO A PSYCHOLOGICAL WORK-UP ON THIS ONE (PLACE BESIDE THE WORK-UPS ON PHILLIP GARRIDO, AND HIS WIFE?) WAS IT UNEMPLOYMENT MADE HIM DO IT? WAS IT THE CHILD SUPPORRT ORDER? WAS IT ACTUALLY TAKING CONSEQUENCES FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY? WAS IT HIS LACK OF A FATHER IN THE YOUTHFUL HOME (FATHER CONTACTED DECLINED TO COMMENT). DID HE NOT HAVE A PLACE IN SOCIETY, WAS THAT IT? WAS HE ON MEDS? was he FORMERLY ON MEDS AND NOW OFF MEDS?
WOULD’IT HAVE BEEN BETTER TO, AT ABOUT $20K/PRISONER/YEAR (??) KEEP HIM IN LONGER, OR INDEFINITELY?
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I SAID EARLIER ABOUT “COLLATERAL DAMAGES” OF DV (OR SIMILAR PHRASE) IN YESTERDAY’S POST?
I do have one comment, here: Something sounds narcissistic in the mix. This person was supposedly a hell-raiser from an early age, but didn’t get help. Possib ly being a father was a shot at sanity, but I think that the child support order was probably NOT a good idea for such a person. It would’ve been better for all to let her do welfare. She’d probably get off it quicker without the threats to her life than with them.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES IN KANSAS:
http://www.ksag.org/page/domestic-violence (Attorney General Site):
Domestic Violence
The new Domestic Violence Unit within the Kansas Attorney General’s Office seeks to keep our families safe, stop domestic abuse and end the cycle of violence that threatens our communities.
Online Resources:
(Be sure to catch this “get inside their head” speculation (many didn’t apply to my case, i know): date:
Source: The Battered Woman by Lenore Walker, Harper & Roe, 1979. (I’m comforted to know that the Attorney General has the latest psychological profile of batterers and their victims — only 30 years old…..)
- Believes all the myths about battering relationships {{NO one questioned me, and I hadn’t heard these…}}
- A traditionalist about the home, strongly believes in family unity and the prescribed sex role stereotype {{The alternative being, punishment….}} {{BY THE WAY, this now describes the Health and Human Services Dept., in general, on this matter….}}
- Accepts responsibility for the batterer’s actions {{SAYS WHO?}}
Resources for Law Enforcement
Child Exchange and Visitation Center Program – (CEVC)
This program provides supervised child exchange or supervised child visitation to children and families at risk because of circumstances relating to neglect; substance abuse; emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; domestic or family violence; etc. The state portion of funding can be used to fund the local match required for receipt of federal child exchange and visitation center grants.
Mighta been helpful for Jenifer Lyons . . . . .
The Essential Elements and Standards of
Batterer Intervention Programs in Kansas
The Essential Elements and Standards of Batterer Intervention Programs were developed over
seven years through the hard work of many professionals who are dedicated to ending
domestic violence in Kansas. The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence
convened the initial work group and wishes to thank the following organizations for their work
during this process:
Developed and/or Reviewed by representatives from the following:
Alternatives to Battering, Topeka
Correctional Counseling of Kansas, Wichita {{MAYBE Mr. Lyons got this and didn’t take kindly to it?”}}{{Or, the problem was, he DIDN’t get it?}}
Family Crisis Center, Great Bend
Governor’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board
Halley Counseling, P.A., Girard
Johnson County Office of Court Services
The Family Peace Initiative, Girard
Kansas District Judges’ Association
Kansas Attorney General Carla Stovall
Kansas Attorney General Steve Six
Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence
Kansas County and District Attorney Association
Kansas Department of Corrections
The Mental Health Consortium
Office of Judicial Administration
Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Center, Hutchinson
Wyandotte Mental Health Center
Family Crisis Center, GreatIn 2007, The Governor’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board (GDVFRB), chaired by
former Attorney General Robert Stephen appointed a subcommittee to review and update the
Essential Elements and Standards of Batterer Intervention Programs. The GDVFRB adopted
these as best practice standards in providing batterer intervention programming in Kansas, and
recommended that the Office of Attorney General implement a training and certification program
for providers of batterers intervention programs.
Attorney General Steve Six readily accepted the recommendation to train and certify batterer
intervention providers in Kansas using the Essential Elements and Standards of Batterer
Intervention Programs in Kansas.
For More information about this initiative, contact the
Director of Victim Services in the office of
Kansas Attorney General
Steve N. Six
120 S.W. 10th Avenue
Topeka KS 66612-1597
785/368-8445
ACCESS VISITATION IN KANSAS:
Child Custody, Support and Visitation Rights - Kansas Bar …
Visitation, often called “access” is the right of the parent who does not …. Child support and visitation are considered by statute in Kansas to be two …
www.ksbar.org/public/public…/child_custody.shtml - Cached - Similar -
Crisis Resource Center of SE Kansas -
Child Exchange and Visitation Center. 669 South 69 Hwy. … Wichita Childrens Home Child Access. 810 North Holyoke …
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/…/access_visitation…/ks.html - Cached - Similar -
Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson website … Funding Source, The Federal State Access &Visitation grant program is a formula grant program to states and …
www.governor.ks.gov/grants/grants_savppp.htm - Cached - Similar -
-
Visitation & Parenting Plans. Kansas Visitation Lawyer … custody or non- residential custody, your children have the right of access to both parents. …
www.cavlaw.com/PracticeAreas/Visitation-Parenting-Plans.asp - Similar -
You will have access, at our Download Site, to the legal forms you need to modify custody-visitation in Kansas.
These forms are the most current versions …
www.custodycenter.com/MODIFYCUSTODY-KS/index.html
Paternity Fathers Rights Attorney Kansas | Johnson County …
Following an emotional breakup, many moms allow or deny visitation by whim, {{OR WHEN HE THREATENS TO SLIT ONE’s THROAT< CASE IN POINT}}
leaving the dads without regular access to their children. …
www.kslegalhelp.com/Divorce-and-Family…/Paternity.shtml - Cached - Similar -
YES, THERE WAS A DIRE LACK OF SERVICES FOR MR. LYONS…
Note: Cross posted from
[wp angelfury]Battered Mothers Rights - A Human Rights Issue.
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