Domestic violence situations like the one that apparently led to a fatal shooting in Quilcene last week have been on the rise in Jefferson County, domestic violence prevention advocates said.
The number of women seeking shelter from abusive relationships in Jefferson County is at or near the highest level seen in the last two decades, the advocates said.
“We’ve had more clients needing shelter this year than ever in the history of the program,” said Jes Schumacher, community education coordinator for the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Program of Jefferson County. The program has been around for 25 years.
On Wednesday, Gary L. Middleton, 62, of Quilcene was charged with second-degree murder after intervening in a domestic violence situation involving his neighbors, Douglas Anthony Knight and Donna Knight, on last Sunday.
Middleton allegedly shot Douglas “Tony” Knight, 45, outside the Maple Grove Motel on Sunday. He told 9-1-1 dispatchers that he was “tired of Donna and her children being beaten up by Knight,” according to court records.
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The rest of this story appears in the Monday Peninsula Daily News Jefferson County edition. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.