Domestic violence awareness: Multiple cases shake Metro Detroit

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A community in Westland is still in a daze after what police say was a murder-suicide, unfortunately not the first in recent memory in Metro Detroit.  

Timeline:

The whole scene brought a whole new meaning to the silence and peace neighbors say they typically notice on Surrey Heights near Cambridge Street. This comes after police say a couple died after an apparent murder-suicide in their home late Tuesday.

Police say 52-year-old Joseph King called 911 saying he had just shot his live-in girlfriend, 46-year-old Melissa Hattar, and was going to shoot himself. 

The dispatcher heard a shot, then silence on the open line afterward.

A similar incident happened in Dearborn Heights days prior when a wellness check led to the discovery of two dead bodies in what police also called a murder suicide. Cops say the dead were a man and woman who had been dating.

In Highland Township, a man was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing his girlfriend.

What they're saying:

JoJo Dries founded On The Wings of Angels, a nonprofit helping domestic violence survivors break the silence, recognize the signs of abuse, and get help.

"As a domestic violence survivor myself, I’m always out here talking about what that looked like for me. We lived in a very wonderful situation to the outside world," Dries said. "People always come out of the woodwork and say we thought they were a great family. We thought this was a great couple. It’s because the victim, the survivor, has been told if you go tell anyone outside the family what’s happening here, we will hurt you even more."

What you can do:

She says there are many helpful resources in Metro Detroit.

"At On The Wings of Angels we have personally worked with HAVEN out in Pontiac, and we work with Avalon Healing Center. Both of those resources are on the ground. They are working daily with domestic violence survivors, sexual abuse survivors. We see ourselves at On The Wings of Angels as a triage - so if you are out there and you are living with this first of all you are not crazy, you are not weak for staying in this situation. But there are resources available for you," she said.

Meanwhile, Westland police is among many departments that have domestic violence advocates on staff to help get those resources out to people in need.