After Iowa Police Ignored Her Pleas for Help, Her Estranged Husband Killed Her

Angela Prichard was murdered after Bellevue police officers repeatedly refused to enforce a restraining order against her abusive husband.

In October 2022, Angela Prichard was murdered by her estranged husband, Christopher Prichard. The crime wasn't entirely unpredictable; Angela Prichard had repeatedly sought help from police months before she was killed. But officers did nothing, even ignoring Christopher Prichard's repeated violations of a restraining order.

Angela Prichard's family is now suing the city of Bellevue, Iowa, claiming that police inaction directly led to Angela Prichard's death and deprived her of her due process rights.

In April 2022, Christopher Prichard was arrested on a domestic violence charge against Angela Prichard, and a no-contact order was issued—though that order was terminated less than a month later. Around July or August, the suit states that Angela Prichard found a tracking device in her car and several hidden cameras in her home. However, when she called the police to report the devices—a violation of Iowa anti-stalking laws—the officers did nothing.

Christopher Prichard also sent Angela Prichard a series of threatening text messages, including one telling her "it is going to get real fucking ugly." A few days later, he told her he would "destroy her business." Again, when Angela Prichard informed police after both incidents, they did not act.

On September 1, 2022, a temporary restraining order (TRO) was filed against Christopher Prichard. The next day, Angela Prichard requested a police escort to go to her home, which she stated she would not be staying at until a safety system could be installed. While Christopher Prichard had recently moved out of the house, Angela Prichard and the police officers with her arrived to find "the doors bolted, utilities shut off and no business phone."

Additionally, "the home was vandalized, including the keepsake chest, hall bath damage, paint on the floor, master bath and master bedroom damage, spare bedroom damage, one mattress was moved around and smeared with dog poop, and guns were moved around the house."

The suit notes that "the abuse and harassment caused by Christopher Prichard's vandalizing the home before Angela Prichard could take possession was ignored by" the police, who did not arrest Christopher Prichard for violating the TRO.

Over the next several days, police were informed that Christopher Prichard had allegedly violated the order nine separate times. Police did eventually arrest Christopher Prichard after a 10th alleged violation, but he was released the next day and continued to harass, stalk, and otherwise violate the TRO against him for the next several weeks.

According to the complaint, Bellevue police "plainly transmitted the message to Christopher Prichard that what he did was permissible and would not cause him to be held accountable."

On October 8, 2022, Christopher Prichard went to Angela Prichard's workplace and shot her in the chest, killing her. Christopher Prichard has since been convicted of first-degree murder.

Why did the police so consistently fail to protect Angela Prichard? According to the suit, the inaction can at least partially be attributed to Christopher Prichard's habit of providing electrical work to several police officers "on a reduced fee or free basis." 

"Christopher Prichard was well known to the Defendants," the suit reads. "And based upon the Defendants' conduct towards him, Christopher Prichard was of the belief that he could engage in any conduct he chose without fear of being arrested or otherwise held accountable by the Bellevue Police Department."

Further, the suit claims that police inaction rose "to the level of an affirmative condoning of private violence, even without explicit approval or encouragement."

While the inaction alleged in the suit is horrifying, it's unclear whether the Bellevue police officers at the center of the case will ever face accountability. Not only are police officers granted wide-ranging qualified immunity protections that prevent them from facing most civil suits—they also aren't even legally required to protect citizens.

Comments

[Dillinger]

>>Why did the police so consistently fail to protect Angela Prichard?

they're not bodyguards? Smith & Wesson otoh ...

[sarcasmic]

The cops let dude get away with violating a restraining order, as well as vandalism and stalking. At minimum cops should have enforced the court order. That’s kind of their job.

Plaintiffs are alleging that dude got special treatment, but it’s also plausible that the cops generally don’t give a fuck.

[Dillinger]

>>That’s kind of their job.

sure but even if they did their job odds are _______ ...

[sarcasmic]

greater than zero.

If they’d done their job then there would have been a warrant out for dude’s arrest for violating that order. Then they’d have had to arrest their buddy, and any cop who ran his ID would arrest him too. They can’t tell other departments to ignore a warrant, but they can let things slide and ignore when a warrant should be issued.

[Dillinger]

and then he gets out & murders the chick anyway. no police could have stopped this murder. Smith & Wesson otoh ...

[MrMxyzptlk]

Then why have police?

[Dillinger]

to protect the rich people's stuff?

[MrMxyzptlk]

Let the rich people pay for their own damn private security.

[MrMxyzptlk]

[Rev Arthur L kuckland]

When crime happens instantly cops are minutes away

[Lester75]

That whiny Karen. He was obviously a buddy of the local po-lice. Police aren't supposed to arrest buddies who vandalize homes and violate restraining orders. The Karen was supposed to get her own gun and defend herself. Then when she shot him for approaching the home, they could arrest her and charge her with premeditated murder.

[mad.casual]

If you can shoot someone at a location entirely different than the one you're at, it's not really a defense situation and cops/the DA are going to have a hard time charging and convicting you without you being at the scene.

[MrMxyzptlk]

Yup. That's about the size of it.

Explain why we have to have police please.

[charliehall]

The gun lobby insists that people like Christopher Pritchard need to have guns.

[Dillinger]

this is not the case.

[Graf Fuddington von Fuddrick]

Democrats like you insist on false narratives because you have no reasonable, legal or defensible positions.

[LIBtranslator]

The Republican Party insists that people like Christopher Pritchard need guns--the better to bully girls with.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

COMSTOCK!

[John C. Randolph]

More like, he's going to get a gun regardless of the law, so disarming his intended victim through unconstitutional statues is a brain-dead idea.

Go fuck yourself.

-jcr

[MrMxyzptlk]

"The Gun Lobby"? Seriously. Is that like "The DC Swamp" or "The Liberal Media"? Just some kind of catchphrase to simplify your hate of a group of people who disagree with you?

The NRA has put the stamp of approval on every piece of serious gun control legislation that has been passed since the 60s. They aren't some evil empire that has had a long list of successes at stopping gun laws from being passed. The Supreme Court has been the biggest smasher of gun laws. They don't lobby. They just rule that the Bill of Rights means exactly what it means.

[Medulla Oblongata]

First, wrong. Second, how would the story have been any different if he had gone "to Angela Prichard's workplace and stabbed her in the chest, killing her"? It would not have been, except you would not have been able to make your snide comment.

[Eeyore]

I'm sure some kind of firearm purchase waiting period would have saved her.

[R. K. Phillips]

Something similar happened in the Cincinnati area, but it ended better. The bad guy (I think he was a former cop as well) went so far as to put dynamite in the woman's firewood. Over and over he harassed her, and was let go every time.
He demanded she meet up with him, her, fearing the worst, did so in a public park. And she blew the piece of garbage away, more or less in cold blood.
She wasn't prosecuted.

[LIBtranslator]

Unqualified immunity convinced da peeps they have to hunt bad cops down themselves, even with imperfect capacity to tell which are which. I voted against all this.

[rbike]

Iowa does allowed concealed carry. I have made sure that my family members know how to use gun to defend themselves. My wife has requested a gun be kept at her bedside when I am away.
I know some police officers. I am not going to depend on them for anything. Longtime Iowa resident.

[Stuck in California]

So.... what's the point here?

I mean, why is this the subject of a full article? What is dear Emma trying to tell us? Where's the libertarian angle? Is it "government is not effective?" I mean, as far as examples go, this is basically a brickbat, not a full article's worth.

Anyone getting killed by an ex sucks, I get it, but why is this particular drama worthy of national attention in a libertarian magazine? Lots of people get murdered, lots of people didn't get protected by police. I just don't get why this is taking up space in this webzine.

[JesseAz]

If cops investigate someone it is bad. If they don't investigate someone it is also bad.

[mad.casual]

So…. what’s the point here?

Especially from two years ago. This piece feels very much like it met a quota.

[John Rohan]

I assume the “libertarian angle” is to ask this question - these kind of things happen, so from a libertarian POV, what’s the best way to protect women like this without needlessly infringing on other people’s rights?

[Stuck in California]

OK, then why not ask that question in the article?

[MrMxyzptlk]

Think how much of our tax money goes to the courts that issue restraining orders and the police that are supposed to enforce those orders. Now, do you think that money was well spent in this case? How many similar stories like this happen every year? Was all that tax money well spent? If not, then why spend it? Why collect it in the first place. If the system is only going to protect the rich then make the rich pay for it.

[Its_Not_Inevitable]

Good points. You probably should have written the article.

[MrMxyzptlk]

I think Reason is charting a new course for Libertarian recruitment. Since the 70s the party has been trying to recruit Republicans who can see that their party is not the party of small government. That has spectacularly failed because the party doesn't want to surrender on legalizing recreational drugs and a woman being able to get an abortion with minimal government interference. It's a case of libertarian principles running into christian ideology and it pretty much will continue to fail.

I think Reason wants to go after the Tulsi Gabbards of the DNC. There are a lot of people who vote Democrat because they know they aren't theocratic fascists. They don't really think they have any other practical options. So instead of focusing on guns, guns, guns they are trying the more left leaning issues, like police abuse of power, government interference in access to medications, drug war stuff and how border security isn't the most important thing in the universe.

Sure it pisses off the Republicans here who are trying to get Libertarians to vote for Republicans but who gives a fuck. In 50 years of trying to win over Republicans all we get is them bitching about everything. I'm sick of it and welcome the idea of bringing Democrats who fear the Clinton's into the fold.

[JeremyR]

What sort of law was preventing her from buying a firearm? Or maybe getting some of her family to beat the crap out of the guy?

The police cannot provide 24 hour protection.

[LIBtranslator]

Immunity. It's how the legal system makes sure innocent cops get ambushed as revenge for the murders committed by the immune perps. For every initiation of force there is unequal yet apposite reprisal force.

[VinniUSMC]

Did you recently suffer a stroke while simultaneously falling from a 10 story building and landing on your head?

[Its_Not_Inevitable]

We need a Comstock tie-in here.

[MrMxyzptlk]

What kind of laws would the police enforce on her had she shot the guy?

[Jerry B.]

Well, at least the cops didn’t shoot her dog.

[anomaloid]

That's a sad story, but I would expect a libertarian website to have some kind of unique perspective on the topic. How about a call for women to arm themselves, kill their abusers, and suffer no repercussions for doing so?

[MrMxyzptlk]

You clearly miss the point. She did everything the law wanted her to do. Go to a court, get a restraining order, depend on the cops and never try to defend yourself with an icky gun. She followed the rules. For this she is dead. She counted on the system as all good citizens are supposed to and the system failed her.

For anyone right of center this is a no brainer. Call 911 and die, cops have no legal requirement to save your life or prevent crimes, carry a gun and know how to use it, keep a lawyer on retainer to defend you if you do have to shoot someone... yeah, standard stuff.

But this isn't an article aimed at right of center. It's aimed at left of center to show them how government fails people. Something they don't tend to think about. This article plants a seed. That's all. Reason doesn't bother telling Republicans what they already know. Why bother? Republicans want us to be, well, Republicans. Which isn't the point of trying to build a Minor Political Party.

[AT]

While the inaction alleged in the suit is horrifying

Is it though? Or is it horrifying just in this case, and just with this guy? For some reason.

Amazing how folks only ever have a problem with this "catch and release" practice of revolving door bail, perpetual court continuance, and cops refusing to show up for "minor" crimes such as TRO violations, stalking, and home invasion when it comes to white people.

This kind of "policing" is status quo for blue-state police/legal law enforcement. If Prichard were a border jumping gay child molester with higher melanin content living in New York or LA, we would NEVER see this story. And if we did, the narrative would be, "Well, he's the real victim here. Of institutional systemic whateverism. And we owe HIM an apology for historical oppression and not using his declared pronouns."

Yea, the inaction IS horrifying. Which is why we should be seeing an article like this EVERY SINGLE DAY - every single HOUR. And Americans should be screaming in protest at the top of their lungs at the political/activist climate that has allowed it to run rampant.

But the majority of those stories would involve the sacred cows, wouldn't they. So... let's just sweep those under the rug - keep the people ignorant - and only get Righteously Outraged™ when it's safe to do so with a demographic that's on the "safe to criticize" list.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Sure, we know he vandalized the home, but could the cops prove it? Was there camera footage showing it or was the house vandalized and assumed (almost to a certainty) that it was the ex. Alas, that's still hard to prove in court or to get a warrant. Just about anybody could have vandalized the house. Possibly same for other violations: did she just call the cops and say he was violating it or was there proof? Since he was clearly a danger--having murdered her later--it's easy to look back and say "they should have..." but in reality, each incident would have required proof enough to get a warrant.

There's a real chance (prior to him murdering her, at least) that she was just a vengeful ex who did all that herself and was trying to screw him over (here's the point where we gotta say that women have indeed done this before and other horrific things like falsely accusing husbands of molesting their children).

And, as shown, even having him actually get arrested means little in the age of revolving jail cell doors.

Plus, guy was the cops buddy, so...but the part about proof is important, too.

[TheDudeAbe]

I don't have high hopes for her lawsuit. The facts of this case are close enough to Castle Rock v. Gonzales, where the police choose not to handle an estranged husband violating restraining orders (permanent, not TRO). He ended up kidnapping and shooting their three daughters, leaving their bodies in the car when he got into a shootout at the police station. Her lawsuit was killed by SCOTUS.

Between that and Warren vs DC's SCOTUS ruling declaring that the police have no duty to protect a specific person (they protect "the public at large", they don't have to do anything to protect "you"), this is unlikely to go anywhere. Warren is another really scary tale of police apathy, resulting in a few women being beaten and raped for over half a day after calling 911 twice for assailants being actively in the home. For the first call, the police basically did a drive-by and said "all good here". For the second call, nobody was even dispatched.

[sarcasmic]

"Public" means "everyone except you."

[David Emami]

And if the cops showed up and pointed guns at the ex-husband, Emma would be upset at that, as she was when cops pointed guns at the self-igniting protestor a few months ago.

[NM Dave]

Cops are so easily bribed...Totally corrupt.