x
Breaking News
More () »

This is the 'Last Warning Shot' of an Abuser Before Things Could Turn Deadly

The Guilford County Family Justice Center wants to train as many professionals as possible to see the signs of strangulation, because it could save a victim's life.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Triad law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for a Burlington man accused of strangling his ex-girlfriend, causing her to pass out. 

Alamance County deputies responded to a domestic incident Friday, where the victim told them her ex-boyfriend, Gregory Wendell Newman, strangled her with his hands. Police say she was able to escape the home to call 911.

Credit: Alamance County Sheriff's Office

Detectives found that she had injuries consistent with her accusations - court documents revealed her throat was swollen, and her voice was raspy, after Newman allegedly took both hands and squeezed them around her throat. 

It's cases like this one, Sonya Desai with the Guilford County Family Justice Center says happen frequently - and that the act of strangulation is even more serious than people may realize. 

"We know that strangulation, when it comes to domestic violence, is the last warning shot. That is the abuser saying, I can put my hands around your neck, and kill you," she said, "You are literally cutting off somebody’s lifeline."

RELATED: Don't Stay Silent! List Of Resources For Domestic Violence Survivors

The Center is pushing to train as many professionals as possible - district attorneys, officers, and medical providers - to see the signs, which can range from bruising to bleeding inside the eyes. Sometimes, she says, they're not obvious, or don't show up until a day later. Long-term effects of strangulation include stroke, seizure, or inability to talk. 

Desai says training professionals to see the signs of strangulation is important because it carries a harsher sentence for the abuser, as opposed to a misdemeanor assault charge. It could even help save the victim's life. 

"I think there’s more awareness about strangulation, and what the research shows, is that strangulation is one of the deadliest forms of domestic violence," Desai said, "[The abuser] is telling [the victim] that I can strangle you, I can kill you, I am sending you this message. So usually, not always, but at times, a murder could occur after that."

LIST OF RESOURCES 

Here is a list of resources and services available to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in the Triad and beyond.

Break The Cycle

Call (866) 331-9474 or text "loveis" to 22522.

Community Intervention and Educational Services (Winston-Salem)

(336) 776-0322

CrossRoads of Alamance

Crisis Line: (336) 228-0360

Family Abuse Services

Crisis Line: (336) 226-5985

Family Justice Center of Alamance County

(336) 570-6019

Family Justice Center of Guilford County

(336) 641-SAFE (7233)

Forsyth County Department of Social Services

(336) 703-2287

Family Services of Forsyth County

Crisis Line: (336) 723-8125

Family Service of the Piedmont

Crisis line for Greensboro: (336) 273-7273

Crisis line for High Point: (336) 889-7273

Forsyth County Domestic Violence Center

(336) 779-6320

Greensboro Police Department’s Family Victims' Unit

(336) 373-2331

Guilford County Department of Social Services

(336) 641-3000 Main line

(336) 641-3795 Child Protective Services

(336) 641-3717 Adult Protective Services

(336) 641-2517 Emergency Assistance

Kellin Foundation

Call: (336) 429-5600

North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Sherri Denese Jackson Foundation

(336) 510-9292

United Way Crisis Helpline

1-800-233-4357 or 1-800-233-HELP

Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) of the Winston-Salem Police Department

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 336-773-7860 or 336-773-7741

RELATED: Man Arrested and Charged After Standoff, Assaulting Officer: Police

RELATED: If Walls Could Talk: Family Had No Idea a Murder was Committed in Their New Home, 'I Was Livid'

Before You Leave, Check This Out