Domestic violence does not always stay behind closed doors.

Its reach can extend to children, parents, friends, neighbors, coworkers—and even complete strangers who see someone being hurt and instinctively try to help.

This week in Apopka, Florida, one man reportedly tried to help during a violent altercation.

He never made it home.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded Tuesday morning to reports of a man and woman physically fighting inside a vehicle near Plymouth Sorrento and West Ponkan roads. The vehicle crashed, and authorities said the altercation continued outside.

That is when 56-year-old Daryl Alexander Hill attempted to intervene.

Deputies say Daryl was shot. He was taken to the hospital, where he died.

Raul Lionel Vazquez, 26, was arrested and faces a charge of second-degree murder. As with any criminal case, the charge is an allegation, and guilt is determined through the court system.

But one fact is devastatingly clear:

A man who reportedly stopped because he saw another person in danger lost his life.

Daryl Hill Deserves to Be Remembered

I don’t want Daryl to become just another name in a news story.

His wife of 17 years, Suzanne, described him as a man who wanted to make everyone laugh—a man with a kind heart who would protect others, especially his family.

He was a husband.

He was a father to two adult sons and a 10-year-old daughter, whom his wife described as their “miracle daughter.”

He was a small-business owner.

And according to his family, he was a giver.

That morning, Daryl had just dropped his 10-year-old daughter off for her first day of school.

Think about that for a moment.

A little girl started her first day of school believing her dad would be coming home.

He didn’t.

His wife was watching his location because she wanted to know that he had made it home safely. When his phone remained in the same place and he didn’t answer, she went looking for him.

She eventually learned the unimaginable.

Her husband had been killed.

According to deputies, Daryl was simply trying to help.

May his family always know that people remember not only how Daryl died, but how he lived—with kindness, humor, love and a willingness to help another human being.

Domestic Violence Has a Ripple Effect

This tragedy should also be a teaching moment.

Domestic and intimate-partner violence doesn’t affect only the person being abused.

Children witness it.

Families live in fear of it.

Friends worry about it.

First responders encounter it.

And sometimes innocent bystanders become caught in the violence.

If someone is controlling you, threatening you, hitting you, choking you, stalking you, frightening you, isolating you, destroying your belongings, threatening your children, or making you afraid of what will happen if you leave, please take that danger seriously.

Abuse is not love.

Jealousy is not love.

Control is not love.

Threats are not love.

And hitting another person is not a “relationship problem.” It is violence.

A person who uses physical violence against a partner is not demonstrating strength. Hitting, terrorizing or controlling someone who loves or trusts you is an act of abuse and intimidation—not masculinity, courage or power.

And abusers must be held accountable under the law.

If You Are Being Abused, Please Make a Safety Plan

People sometimes ask, “Why doesn’t she just leave?”

It isn’t always that simple.

Leaving an abusive relationship can itself be dangerous. There may be children involved. The victim may have been threatened, isolated financially, followed, or convinced that no one will believe them.

So instead of judging someone for staying, help them find a safe way out.

If you are experiencing abuse, consider reaching out privately to someone you trust. Keep important documents, medications, keys and necessities somewhere accessible if you can do so safely. Think about where you could go in an emergency. If children are involved, include them in your safety planning in an age-appropriate way.

And if you believe you are in immediate danger, call 911 or get to a safe location if you can do so safely.

And If You Witness Violence, Help Safely

Daryl’s death also teaches us something painful about being a Good Samaritan.

Wanting to protect someone is admirable. But you do not know whether an aggressor has a gun, knife or other weapon.

If you witness a violent confrontation, calling 911 immediately, giving the dispatcher an accurate location and description, staying at a safe distance, and following the dispatcher’s instructions may be the safest way to help.

Being a hero does not always mean physically stepping between two people.

Sometimes helping means getting trained professionals there as quickly as possible.

That does not diminish what Daryl did. Quite the opposite.

According to his family, helping people was simply part of who he was.

Please Don’t Wait Until “Next Time”

If you’re reading this while living with abuse, please don’t convince yourself that the next incident will be different simply because there was an apology afterward.

You deserve a life where you don’t have to listen for footsteps.

You deserve to sleep without fear.

You deserve to disagree with someone without wondering whether you’ll be hit.

You deserve to make decisions without being threatened.

And your children deserve to grow up knowing that love and violence are not supposed to coexist.

Please reach out to a trusted person, advocate, law enforcement agency, shelter, or domestic-violence organization and begin making a plan that prioritizes your safety.

In Memory of Daryl Alexander Hill

Today, my heart is with Daryl’s wife, his children, his family and everyone who loved him.

A family lost a husband and father.

A little girl lost her daddy.

And a community lost a man his wife described as kind, funny, giving and protective.

Daryl Alexander Hill was 56 years old.

His life mattered.

His kindness mattered.

And the fact that he reportedly tried to help another human being in danger should never be forgotten.

May his death also remind every one of us that domestic and interpersonal violence can reach far beyond the people directly involved.

If you are being abused, please seek help and make a plan to get somewhere safe.

If you witness violence, call for help and protect yourself while helping others.

And if you are the person hurting, threatening or controlling someone you claim to love:

Stop. Get help. Walk away.

Because violence doesn’t prove how strong you are.

It can destroy families.

It can traumatize children.

And, as this family is now living through, it can cost an innocent person their life.

Rest in peace, Daryl Alexander Hill. May your kindness be remembered far longer than the violence that took you from your family.

Link to article https://wesh.com/article/bystander-help-vehicle-crash-shot-killed-florida/73403774