During the press briefing, a video of which was later shared on the NYPD’s Twitter feed, Monahan was asked if the suspect and the woman knew each other. He replied, “They know each other from the street but when we talked to her today [Jan. 21], she said they had a dispute yesterday [Jan. 20]. He came up to her, threatening her. He said he was going to kill her for not calling him.”

 

Monahan added, “She got away yesterday and she sees him again today, he approaches her and the dispute escalates again today. A few people tried to intercede on the corner. She ran and that’s when our police officers got out of the car and got involved.”

 

In response to another question from the media, Monahan said that the officers had been dressed in plain clothes and had their police shields visible around their necks.

Currently with Chief of @NYPDDetectives Rodney Harrison to provide a preliminary update on the police-involved shooting tonight in the #Bronx. pic.twitter.com/Ephm6FdDZJ

— Chief Terence Monahan (@NYPDChiefofDept) January 22, 2021

The investigation is ongoing. Norwood News reached out to the NYPD on Jan. 26 to ask if the woman had previously reported the suspect to police, as a potential stalker. We were informed on Jan. 27 that there was no update on our inquiry.

 

January marks Stalking Awareness month. According to a 2019 foundation report by the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV), stalking is a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that places that person in reasonable fear. It is a crime that often involves the use of power and control and can result in physical violence and/or psychological trauma.

 

It can also be a predictor of severe violent crime, or even death. The latest available National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) found that, in the United States, one in six women, and one in 17 men have experienced stalking at some point in their lives during which they felt very fearful or believed they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.

According to data from the NISVS, from the 2010-2012 State Report, in New York State, an estimated 12 percent of women and 5 percent of men have experienced stalking in their lifetime.

 

Meanwhile, in New York City, the general prevalence of stalking is less well known. From 2013-2018, the NYPD recorded 3,507 stalking arrests, of which 64 percent (2,242) were domestic violence stalking arrests. Domestic violence stalking arrests have also increased 73 percent between 2013 and 2018. NSVIS found that this increase may be due, in part, to extensive citywide training efforts and to increased awareness of the issue. The figures only represent stalking complaints that resulted in an arrest and do not reflect stalking incidents not reported to the police.

 

The survey also found that while many think of stalking in the context of a stranger or a celebrity, most stalking victims are stalked by someone they know, including a current or former intimate partner. Nationally, 66 percent of adult female and 41 percent of adult male stalking victims are stalked by a current or former partner.

 

According to the survey, 21 percent of intimate partner stalking victims were stalked during the relationship, 43 percent were stalked after the relationship ended, and 36 percent were stalked both during and after the relationship ended. Stalking behavior in an intimate partner context may impact not only the victims but also the victims’ families, friends and their new intimate partners.

 

Stalking can also occur in any intimate relationship, regardless of sexual orientation. Data from NISVS found that individuals who identify as lesbian, gay and bisexual are equally or more likely to experience intimate partner stalking, violence or sexual violence as those who are heterosexual.

 

The survey also found that stalking often first appears in young adult intimate partner relationships, with more than half of female stalking victims (52.6 percent) and almost half of male stalking victims (44.5 percent) experiencing stalking before the age of 25, with 18 to 24-year-olds experiencing the highest rates.

In terms of the impacts, the survey found that most stalking victims experienced major life disruptions, including psychological effects such as anxiety, depression and trauma. Some stalking victims live in fear of what will come next, and that the stalking will never stop. One in eight victims experienced impacts on their employment as a result of their victimization, more than half lost five or more days of work for safety reasons, such as obtaining an order of protection, changing locks on their homes, or moving to a new location.

 

The survey also found that stalking is a risk factor for female homicide and attempted female homicide, and is correlated with physical assault in an intimate partner relationship for females. According to the survey, Dr Judith M McFarlane and colleagues conducted research among a sample of female homicide victims and attempted female homicide victims, and found that 76 percent of female homicide victims and 85 percent of attempted female homicide victims were staked by a perpetrator within 12 months prior to the attempted homicide.

 

Meanwhile, cyberstalking is the use of technology or internet-based tools to stalk and harass. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, about one in four stalking victims report some form of cyberstalking such as identity theft, threats through email or text message, and tracking location or online activity. Identity theft may include charges to a person’s bank account, money missing from a bank account and unauthorized opening or closing of accounts.

Cyberstalking may also include the installation of spyware, malware or GPS tracking software on the devices of either the victims or on the devices of children which can then track online activity, including social media activity, frequent locations visited, daily travel, sensitive information such as passwords and account information, and can also manipulate access to the device itself.

 

Two or more incidents are required to establish a pattern of stalking behavior or course of conduct that is required to charge stalking under the New York State Penal Law. Stalking can include individual acts that, in isolation, are non-arrestable offenses that may even seem non-threatening. However, it is an analysis of the pattern and context of these acts that will help to establish a stalking offense. Stalking is a crime under federal law, in all 50 states and every U.S. territory, in the District of Columbia, and under many Tribal codes. It was added to the New York State Penal Law in 1999.

 

According to crime statistics recorded by the NYPD, for the first three quarters of 2020, police responded to a total of 45,469 radio calls in the context of domestic violence incidents in the Bronx alone. Of these, 119 related to rape complaints, 1,738 related to felony assault complaints and 9 related to murder complaints. Data for Q4 2020 is not yet available.

 

Meanwhile, in 2019, police responded to a total of 121,969 radio calls in the context of domestic violence complaints in the Bronx. Of these, 456 related to rape complaints, 5,273 related to felony assault complaints and 27 related to murder complaints.

 

The Mayor’s Office to End Gender Based Violence & Domestic Violence does offer assistance to victims of stalking through the New York City Family Justice Centers which are located in every borough and provide walk-in (in non-pandemic times), one-stop services for victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence, including victims of stalking. Staff at the centers have received specialized training in stalking identification and appropriate safety planning.

They also have an integrated assessment for stalking built into their risk assessment protocols. Victims can receive free and confidential services at these centers including safety planning, case management, counseling and civil legal services, and can meet with City agencies, community providers, and the District Attorney’s office, (all on-site during non-pandemic times).

 

The Bronx NYC Family Justice Center is located at 198 E 161st St, The Bronx, NY 10451 and can be reached by calling (718) 508-1220. The center is physically closed temporarily since the pandemic hit but services and support remain available by phone. Learn more here.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or gender-based violence, help is available.

• Call 311 to be connected to the nearest NYC Family Justice Center
• Find resources and support in NYC by searching the City’s NYC HOPE Resource Directory
• Call the City’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-621-HOPE (4673) for immediate safety planning, shelter assistance, and other resources. TTY: 800-810-7444

 

In an emergency, dial 911.

 

A number of other organizations in the Bronx also provide help and support to victims of domestic violence.

Safe Horizon Services Agency is affiliated with Montefiore Medical Group, and is based at 2530 US-1, The Bronx, NY 10458. The organization can be reached by calling  (718) 933-1000.

 

New York City offers a 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-621-HOPE (1-800-621-4673). There may be resources available to help, including temporary housing, emergency shelter, and supportive services for yourself and your children.

 

For LGBTQ domestic violence issues, NYC Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Program can be contacted at 212-714-1141. For people with disabilities, Barrier-Free Living can be contacted at 212-533-4358.

Anyone with information with regard to the above-referenced incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

 

All calls are strictly confidential.