Republican representative Chris Corley was arrested during the holidays the day after Christmas. He was charged with first-degree violence and pointing a firearm. The South Carolina lawmaker reportedly hit his wife "about the head and face with a closed fist" and pointed a gun at her — in front of an 8-year-old child. Maayan Schechter with the Aiken Standard reports.
"Please stop it. Just stop. Just stop. ... Dad, please stop," can be heard on the 911 audio recording released Friday by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office to the Aiken Standard. "Please stop. Stop.”
The altercation reportedly began after Corley’s wife accused the GOP politician for cheating on her. Besides the crime and the child witness, there is another disturbing aspect about this story.
Further into the [911] audio, Corley and the officers inside his home talk about the size of a television and what appears to be an NFL game. An officer also asks Corley how much the fee is for the Homeowners Association.
Sporadically, there is laughter in the background.
This is all too common in domestic violence 911 calls. In this case the husband beats the wife and threatens to kill her. Police arrive and ultimately end up joking/buddying up with the perpetrator normalizing domestic violence — while three to four women are murdered every day by a husband, boyfriend, or intimate partner.
Corley was released on a $20,000 bond ($10,000 for each charge) and is due in court February 10, 2017. He could face up to 15 years in prison. Corley previously made headlines for staunchly defending the right to fly the racially controversial Confederate flag outside the South Carolina state house — even after nine African Americans had recently been gunned-down/massacred by a white supremacist in Charleston.
Here is a news video about Corley’s December 26th arrest:
According to research by Mother Jones:
Domestic violence is the No. 1 cause of injury to women. The incidents add up to more than all the rapes, muggings, and car accidents women experience each year. One out of every four women in the United States will be physically injured by a lover in her lifetime. That translates into a woman being assaulted every nine seconds in America.
Three to four women are murdered every day by a boyfriend, husband or intimate partner.
More women were killed by their husbands or boyfriends since Sept. 11 than "all the Americans who were killed by 9/11 or in Afghanistan and Iraq."— Gloria Steinem October 1, 2014
Men also victims of domestic violence. If you are a victim, or know someone experiencing abuse/domestic violence, there is free and confidential help available. Visit The National Domestic Violence Hotline website at TheHotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233 (1-800-799-SAFE). The organization also offers live chats. If there is immediate danger, call 911. And remember, you are not alone. It’s not your fault.
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