KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wyandotte County officials held a press conference Tuesday to address the line-of-duty death of Wyandotte County Sheriff's Deputy Elijah Ming.
At the press conference, Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Karl Oakman said Ming's death is yet "another example of the far-reaching effects of domestic violence."
Earlier this week, Newhouse KC shared a post on social media about Ming's passing.
"Deputy Elijah Ming, 34, of the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office, was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty on Saturday while responding to a domestic violence call. A woman was attempting to leave a dangerous situation when her abuser threatened her with a gun, prompting her to call for help. Deputy Ming, a dedicated officer with nearly nine years of service, gave his life protecting others.Our hearts are with the Ming family, the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office, and all who are hurting. 💔Domestic violence is a complex, community-wide issue—and far too often, it ends in tragedy. It takes all of us: investing in community organizations, trauma-informed support, abuse prevention, and stronger accountability, to protect innocent lives and create lasting change. 💜"
Newhouse KC's Chief Marketing Officer Rachel Hodgson says Ming provided protection when someone was in need. Now, the hope is to honor his legacy.
"When we see his brilliant smile in his uniform, ready to protect and serve and help this community, and then it's in a tragic post, that is heartbreaking," Hodgson said. "So the least we can do is send our love and our support and understanding and help champion his legacy, and hope that if someone out there needs help, they will be able to call help. He will inspire people to support each other because we can only survive domestic violence if we're helping each other."
Sadly, Hodgson says the organization is seeing a rise in domestic violence this year.
"It's already the deadliest year on record for what we're seeing in domestic violence-related homicides," she said. "There have been 16 this year in the KCMO area, compared to 12 in all of last year. Our hotline is ringing 43 times a day on average. That number is up. The number of clients we're serving is up, yet we are losing funding. We are struggling to help everyone as much as we want to. So we are seeing a community crisis right now, and our team at Newhouse is working around the clock trying to get creative, trying to spread awareness, trying to help our community."
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Newhouse KC says it's been a difficult balance of meeting the demand with the lack of funding.
"We are committed to helping survivors. We are answering the call 24/7, 365," Hodgson said. "So maybe someone calls us, and we don't have a bed, but we can talk through safety planning and help them think through a safe loved one that they can live with. So we try to get creative with each survivor who we talk to."
Hodgson says looking at the bigger picture, the organization is in a tough spot right now.
"We lost 1.2 million dollars in funding, at the same time as the number of calls and clients we're serving is rising, so our shelter is facing a lot of struggles right now," Hodgson said. "And we are really just hoping anyone who is a survivor will call us for help, but anyone out there who is not a survivor, who is in a safe place, is able to, can step forward and donate because we need the community to support us so that we can support those in need."
One of the most dangerous things for a survivor is when they're trying to leave, Hodgson says.
"It shows up in many ways, and it takes over your entire life," Hodgson said. "We hear all the time, people just ask, 'Why don’t people just leave?' And we want to educate the community. It is never that easy."
Hodsgon says domestic violence "can be very complex." Abuse is not just physical, it can be emotional, financial and psychological.
"Your life is tied to that person, so you cannot just up and leave your entire life," she said. "And so we don’t ask, 'What’s wrong with you?' to a survivor. We ask, 'What happened to you? And how can we help you heal through it?' Because you might need to find a new place to live, a new job, a new source of income, a new method of transportation. It really can just be all encompassing to someone’s life."
Newhouse has a 24/7 hotline for survivors to call any time. That number is 816-471-5800.
The National Domestic Violence hotline is 800-799-SAFE (7233).
KCPD and KCKPD have online resources available for those who are in a domestic violence dispute.
You can also call 816-HOTLINE or 816-468-5463. KCPD states this phone is answered 24 hours a day, and you will be able to get information free of charge on housing, financial aid, medical aid, counseling services and shelters.
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