Woman’s family wants it known her death by former RCMP officer was an act of domestic violence
When Tara Graham’s mother was killed three weeks ago, her death was made public in a police press release.
But what hasn’t been made public is his mother’s name, her face or her story.
So Graham says his family is speaking out – because his mother, Brenda Tatlock-Burke, was a victim of domestic violence.
“She was just another person that no one knew,” Graham said of the affair.
“And my sister and I just felt like she needed to relive who she was and the means by which she was killed.”
Graham describes his 59-year-old mother as full of life, always smiling and as outgoing as possible.
Brenda Tatlock-Burke’s daughter describes her as “full of life” and someone who was always trying to make others laugh.
Supplied/Tara Graham
She said her mother visited her and her sister in Alberta just days before her death and returned to Nova Scotia on October 16.
Her mother had mentioned her intention to leave her husband, whom Graham identifies as Mike Burke, during the week-long trip and had assured her daughters that she felt safe doing so.
But on October 18, RCMP were called to a home in Enfield, Nova Scotia – outside of Halifax – where the bodies of two adults were found inside.
“Working with the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service, it was determined that a 59-year-old woman died as a result of homicide and a 61-year-old man’s death was due to injuries self-inflicted,” the RCMP wrote. in a press release dated October 22, which does not use the term domestic violence.
Graham says the wording of the release didn’t sit well with his family.
“The initial communication was that it was not domestic violence. We just said they knew each other and there was no harm to the community,” she said.
“I thought it was so insulting to her and to the community, because people aren’t just safe and she didn’t just have a fight that went wrong. This was a long-term domestic violence relationship that ended very tragically.
Tara Graham, pictured here with her mother Brenda Tatlock-Burke, said it was “insulting” that police did not acknowledge her mother’s death was the result of domestic violence.
Supplied/Tara Graham
RCMP responds
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Graham says his family is particularly worried because his mother’s husband was a former RCMP officer. She criticizes the police for not being open about this fact.
She wonders what kinds of resources her mother had and if she felt comfortable calling the police for help.
In response, the RCMP confirmed to Global News that the man involved in Tatlock-Burke’s death is a former officer who retired more than 10 years ago.
A spokesperson also said the RCMP had not been called to that address “prior to this incident” and that the firearm involved in the shooting was “lawfully in possession.”
In an interview, Assistant Commissioner Dennis Daley, commander of the Nova Scotia RCMP, offered his condolences to the family and apologized for the manner in which his death was announced.
He says the RCMP initially didn’t want to reveal Burke’s employment due to the Privacy Act, but “pushed the envelope a little further” after internal discussions.
“In order to be transparent, we are obviously willing to (confirm his previous employment) because we recognize that police officers are part of the community and they are human beings and they are sensitive to domestic violence, as n “It doesn’t matter who else is in the community,” he said.
Daley says the force is evolving in the way it addresses domestic violence and wants to call it out “for what it is”.
“Going forward, we will certainly be as transparent as possible, recognizing that it may not be that day or the next day that we can actually communicate that this is domestic violence. But we want this message to be spread because we recognize our role in combating the scourge of domestic violence,” he said.
Daley calls domestic violence an epidemic and reveals that so far this year, two of the province’s districts have responded to “more than 1,100” domestic violence incidents.
It highlights the work of four domestic violence coordinators, who are specially trained and work alongside halfway houses and advocates.
He says he’s also happy that Tatlock-Burke’s family is speaking out and advocating against domestic violence, and that he himself wants to do the same.
“We need to talk about it. And we need, together, through conversations and bystander participation, to talk more about domestic violence here in Nova Scotia,” he said.
Vocabulary matters
The vocabulary and way we choose to describe these acts of violence is important, according to Bre Woligroski, president of the Feminist Alliance for International Action.
“The vocabulary really reflects our beliefs about the reality of domestic violence,” she said.
“When we kind of devalue what’s going on, devalue this violence, kind of downplay the relationship aspect…we’re really missing the point, aren’t we?”
Woligroski says statistics have shown an increase in reported cases of domestic violence in the country, and this should be a cause for concern.
“(That’s) a 20 percent increase between 2014 and 2022. And we also know that women and gender non-binary people in rural areas are particularly at risk, being three and a half times more at risk of violence conjugal,” she said.
Since the Tatlock-Burke homicide, two other cases with similar characteristics have occurred in the province.
RCMP responded to two sudden deaths in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on November 1. A 58-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman who “knew each other” were found at the scene. These deaths are considered suspicious.
Just this Monday in the community of Cole HarborPolice were called to a home on Poplar Drive, where they found the remains of a 72-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman.
“The two individuals knew each other and there was no risk to the public,” police said in a statement Tuesday, which characterized the case as an incident of domestic violence.
“The woman’s death was the result of a homicide and the investigation determined that the man, who died from self-inflicted injuries, was responsible for the woman’s death.”
All of this fuels Graham’s need to speak out and share his mother’s story.
“I just don’t feel like it’s taken seriously until someone is seriously injured or dead,” she said.
“I just want everyone to know that this can happen to anyone. So, to look at the signs, listen to your friends.
Political leaders agree it’s an ‘epidemic’
During the election campaign, all three party leaders called domestic violence an “epidemic” in the province.
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill, originally from Yarmouth, said he knows the people involved in the case in that community – and called the three recent incidents “horrible stories.”
“It’s tragic and we need to do better,” he said.
He said his party’s platform would create an office within the Health Ministry that would tackle domestic violence and support women. He adds that the platform also plans to invest in women’s centers and community organizations that provide direct frontline support to victims of violence.
“This is an epidemic in our province and we need to take a systemic approach to addressing it,” he said.
Meanwhile, PC leader Tim Houston highlighted the Findings of the Mass Casualty Commission and recommendations, which were the result of an investigation into the April 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia.
The killings were preceded by a domestic assault against the shooter’s wife, and the investigation collected evidence indicating that he used coercive control tactics against her throughout their 19-year relationship, as well as against other women.
One of the commission’s recommendations was that “all levels of government in Canada declare that gender-based, intimate partner and family violence is an epidemic that warrants a meaningful and sustained society-wide response.” .
“We are moving forward with recommendations that would include things like additional supports for survivors, including things like counseling and other supports available,” Houston said.
“So we’re going to continue to do that, working with nonprofits and halfway houses to make sure we’re supporting them and the important work they’re doing.”
NDP Leader Claudia Chender agreed that the framework established by the Mass Casualty Commission must be followed because “we need to act to make a difference.”
“We need to provide epidemic-level funding to frontline organizations working with women and communities to ensure this doesn’t happen and that we can change the culture and stem the tide of this type of violence” , she said. .
