What Burnsville tells us about domestic violence and the legal system in Minnesota

Last month, a shootout in Burnsville took the lives of three first responders.

It all stemmed from a 911 call reporting domestic abuse. Suspect Shannon Gooden, who later died by suicide, had previously been accused of intimate partner violence by at least three different women.

Three guests in the domestic violence space joined MPR News guest host Catharine Richert — not to talk about Gooden’s case specifically, but how it highlights the complexities of domestic violence cases.

Richert and her guests talked about why a restraining order, or even the death of an abuser, doesn’t mean the violence or the trauma is over.

They also discussed challenges in the legal system that sometimes allow kids to remain with abusive parents, and how the court system can sometimes work against victims of domestic violence.

And they heard from survivors of abuse about how the system failed them, time and time again.

Guests:  

• Stacie Burke is a domestic and sexual violence advocate at 360 Communities.

• Sharon Jones is the Executive Director of Legal Assistance of Dakota County.

• Meggie Royer is the Youth and Prevention Program Manager with Violence Free Minnesota.