Michael Jace Shooting Incident: A Sad Family Law Lesson Exemplified

It is always tragic reading a news story like the one about "The Shield" actor, Michael Jace, and his confessed shooting of his wife, April. You can't help but wonder: what goes on behind the scenes of a home with a mother, father and their children that leads to a hot blooded killing?

According to police reports, Jace's wife April had just returned from basketball practice with their two young sons when Jace opened fire and shot his wife multiple times. If It's not horrible enough did the boys witness the incident?

Consult a Family Law Expert Before Things Go Too Far

What is relatively unique about this case is that prior to the shooting, LAPD had never responded to any domestic violence disputes at the house. However, in a 2005 child custody hearing involving Jace's first wife, a close friend described an incident of domestic abuse she witnessed. The testimony is documented in the court records:

Jace "choked and hit' his wife and 'slammed her against the wall while (their infant son) screamed in his crib next to her," Maria De Le Vegas said...

We aren't surprised. As family law investigators, we have been involved at both ends of the spectrum. We have helped to protect our clients, helping them to obtain Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) as well as the evidence they need to protect themselves from their abusers, and we have also helped the families of victims who have been killed by their abusers. Over and over again we see how early intervention is the key to preventing tragic outcomes.

Are you the victim of domestic abuse? Get help to protect yourself and your children.

Don't let yourself or your children end up as the subject of news headline and the victims of a murder that could have been avoided. Take the steps necessary to protect yourself.

  1. Contact a domestic abuse hotline. A call to the domestic abuse hotline 1-800-799-SAFE1-800-799-SAFE (7233) is completely confidential and toll-free. They are available 24/7 and can assist you in more than 140 languages. At the very least, the hotline can put you in touch with compassionate and experienced individuals who are dedicated to empowering the victims of domestic abuse. Depending on where you are at in your decision making process, the domestic abuse hotline employees can provide counsel, education and assistance to help you get out of your situation and to protect you and your children.
  2. Consult with a Family Law Investigator. Most family law experts provide free, confidential consultations. Take advantage of this. We can listen to your story and help to direct you to further resources. After more than thirty years in the business, we're able to help our clients create a plan of action to gather the information and evidence they need to begin a new life for themselves. Your safety is our first priority and we will do everything in our power to assist you. We can also provide things like Background Checks to turn up previous criminal records or public databases that may show a violent history. Our surveillance services can help to provide evidence of stalking, domestic violence and/or restraining order violations.
  3. Get a restraining order put in place. Without a restraining order, it can be very difficult for the law to take action. Once the order is in place, we recommend making multiple copies and keeping them in your car, your place of business, friends' houses and anywhere else your abuser may follow you or turn up. This way, you have documented evidence to give to the authorities and support your case. A family law investigator can assist you with moving through the proper channels to file your restraining order and provide you with instructions for dealing with potential violations.

Love should never include abuse, and you have the right to be safe and secure in your home. Use the tragedy of April Jace shooting as inspiration to take control of your situation.

If you think family law investigative services can be of help to you, please give us a call: 714-432-9911. Your identity and information will be kept in the utmost confidence and we look forward to serving you any way we can. Contact Linked Investigations for more information about domestic abuse and any other matters surrounding divorce and child custody.

Published on: 
May 1, 2014
Category:
Tagged as:
Get a Free Consultation

Related Articles

Top