久久热视频 of Liberal Arts
Sarah Manriquez, CLA Public Information OfficeMarch 4, 2026cla-pio@alaska.edu
Domestic violence does not always announce itself.
It can look like a young couple arguing in public. A nervous apology. A moment that feels uncomfortable but not necessarily dangerous.
At the 久久热视频, a full auditorium came together to look more closely at how those moments can carry warning signs that are easy to miss until it is too late.
The event, hosted by the UAF Department of Justice, brought Gabby Petito鈥檚 mother, Nichole Schmidt, and stepmother, Tara Petito, to Fairbanks to speak about recognizing the early indicators of intimate partner violence and why awareness matters.
Since Gabby鈥檚 death in 2021, Schmidt and Petito have traveled across the country, sharing their daughter鈥檚 story and working through the Gabby Petito Foundation to educate communities about prevention, advocacy, and support for victims.
Their message was clear. Domestic violence rarely begins with the worst moment. It begins with patterns.
Community Resources in Interior Alaska
Before the evening鈥檚 main presentation began, several organizations working on the front lines of violence prevention in Interior Alaska reminded the audience that help exists within the Fairbanks community.
Representatives from Fairbanks Native Association spoke about the behavioral health and domestic violence services the organization provides to individuals and families across the region. Taylor Morgan, who works in behavioral health services at Fairbanks Native Association, encouraged audience members to reach out early when they or someone they know needs support.
Erin Morotti, executive director of the Interior Alaska Center for Nonviolent Living, described the scope of services her organization provides to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The center operates the only emergency domestic violence shelter in Interior Alaska and provides advocacy, legal assistance, and crisis response for individuals across the region.
Staff from the 久久热视频 Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability (ORCA) also shared information about campus resources available to students navigating personal crises. The office works with students facing difficult life circumstances that may affect their ability to remain engaged in their studies, helping connect them with support services both on campus and in the broader community.
While these organizations represent only a portion of the resources available in Interior Alaska, their presence underscored an important message for the audience. Support systems exist, and reaching out for help can make a critical difference.
Together, the speakers framed the evening not simply as a lecture, but as a community conversation about prevention, awareness, and support.
A Story That Became a Mission
When Nichole Schmidt and Tara Petito stepped to the front of the room, the tone shifted from institutional overview to personal story.
Gabby Petito, they explained, was an adventurous young woman who loved travel, photography, and documenting her life through images and video. She stayed close with her siblings and remained in frequent contact with her family while traveling across the country.
In many ways, her life looked familiar to the thousands of young people who share their experiences online. That sense of familiarity is part of why Gabby鈥檚 story resonated so widely.
As Schmidt explained, abuse does not follow a predictable pattern or target a specific kind of person. It can occur in relationships that appear outwardly happy, and it can affect people regardless of background, personality, or family support.
鈥淒omestic violence can happen to anybody,鈥 Schmidt told the audience. 鈥淚t does not see a color, it does not see an age, it does not see a social status.鈥
For Schmidt and Petito, sharing Gabby鈥檚 story is not only about remembrance. It is about education. By speaking openly about what happened and what warning signs may have been overlooked, they hope others will recognize patterns of abuse earlier and seek help before situations escalate
Reading the Warning Signs
Much of the evening focused on examining police body camera footage from a 2021 traffic stop in Moab, Utah. The stop occurred after a witness called 911 reporting that a man had struck a woman in public.
The footage has since become widely known. During the stop, Gabby appeared distressed and repeatedly apologized to officers. Her partner, by contrast, spoke calmly and confidently.
At the time, the encounter was treated as a minor incident. Gabby and her partner were separated for the night and allowed to continue their trip.
Two weeks later, Gabby Petito was killed.
Rather than simply replaying the footage, Schmidt and Petito used it as a teaching tool. They paused at key moments and invited audience members, including criminal justice students, to analyze what they saw.
Students quickly noticed patterns that domestic violence advocates often recognize immediately.
Gabby apologized repeatedly. She blamed herself for the argument. She minimized the situation. She appeared visibly shaken.
Meanwhile, her partner calmly framed the situation as something she had caused.
Participants also noticed subtler details. Gabby described being locked out of the vehicle they were living in. She expressed fear about being separated from her partner even after the incident.
Each of these details can signal coercive control, a pattern of behavior in which one partner gradually limits the autonomy and decision-making of the other.
Research on intimate partner violence has long documented similar patterns. Survivors often minimize abuse, accept blame for conflicts, or attempt to protect their partner during interactions with others. Advocates note that this dynamic can make it difficult for police, friends, and even family members to recognize the seriousness of a situation in the moment.
As the discussion unfolded, Schmidt explained that abuse often reshapes how victims interpret their own experiences. Over time, survivors may internalize blame or attempt to protect their abuser in conversations with others.
A Case Still Raising Questions
In the weeks after Gabby Petito disappeared, investigators and the public began reviewing the Moab police body camera footage more closely. What had initially been treated as a routine traffic stop soon took on new significance.
Domestic violence advocates and law enforcement trainers now study the footage as an example of how complex abuse dynamics can be difficult to recognize in real time.
For Schmidt and Petito, however, the video represents something far more personal.
As Schmidt described seeing the footage for the first time, she said she recognized something immediately.
鈥淚 knew she needed help,鈥 she said.
The moment has since become central to the work of the Gabby Petito Foundation, which focuses on education and prevention. But it has also raised broader questions about how institutions respond to warning signs of abuse.
In 2022, Gabby鈥檚 family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab Police Department, arguing that officers failed to properly respond to the domestic violence call and did not follow required protocols.
In November 2024, a Utah district judge dismissed the case, ruling that the department was protected under the state鈥檚 Governmental Immunity Act, a law that shields government agencies and employees from many types of lawsuits.
The family鈥檚 attorneys argue that this immunity should not apply in cases where negligence may have contributed to a wrongful death. They have appealed the dismissal, and the case is now scheduled to be heard by the Utah Supreme Court.
For Schmidt and Petito, the legal battle is about more than one case. They say the goal is to ensure that future responses to domestic violence calls receive the training and scrutiny necessary to prevent similar tragedies.
Tools That Could Save Lives
One of the key lessons advocates draw from cases like the Moab stop involves how officers assess danger during domestic violence calls.
Many police departments now use structured risk assessment tools designed to help identify situations where victims may face a heightened risk of lethal violence. One of the most widely used models is the Lethality Assessment Program, developed by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence.
The program centers on an eleven-question screening tool that officers use when responding to domestic violence incidents. The questions are designed to help determine whether a victim may be at high risk of being killed by an intimate partner.
The assessment asks about warning signs that research has shown to be strongly associated with lethal violence. These can include escalating threats, attempts at strangulation, access to weapons, extreme jealousy, or controlling behavior.
When a victim鈥檚 responses indicate high risk, officers are trained to immediately connect that individual with a domestic violence advocate or shelter through a hotline call made directly at the scene.
Law enforcement training also emphasizes identifying the primary aggressor in a situation rather than simply separating two people involved in a conflict. Officers are encouraged to document injuries, photograph evidence, collect witness statements, and carefully record the dynamics of the encounter even if a victim appears reluctant to cooperate.
Advocates say these practices are critical because trauma can influence how victims respond to police in the moment. Survivors may minimize abuse, accept blame, or attempt to protect their partner during interactions with authorities.
When risk assessments and trauma informed approaches are used effectively, advocates say they can help interrupt patterns of escalating violence and connect victims with support services before situations become fatal.
But recognizing danger is not only the responsibility of law enforcement.
Research on intimate partner violence consistently shows that friends, family members, neighbors, and bystanders are often among the first people to notice warning signs. Advocates encourage community members to take concerns seriously when someone appears fearful of a partner, frequently apologizes for their partner鈥檚 behavior, becomes isolated from friends and family, or describes controlling or threatening actions.
In those situations, experts recommend several steps. Checking in privately with the person and expressing concern can help create an opening for conversation. Offering to help connect them with resources, such as local shelters or advocacy organizations, can also make a difference.
And when violence appears imminent or someone may be in immediate danger, calling for help can be critical.
Advocates emphasize that intervention does not require confrontation. Often, the most important action is simply refusing to dismiss warning signs and making sure a person knows they are not alone.
Learning to See What Is Often Hidden
During the Moab traffic stop, Gabby Petito was ultimately identified by responding officers as the primary aggressor.
Her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, was connected with victim advocacy services and provided a hotel room for the night so the couple could spend time apart. Officers described the incident at the time as a mental health crisis.
Later that evening, Gabby reconnected with Laundrie at the hotel.
For Schmidt and Petito, moments like these illustrate how difficult domestic violence can be to recognize while it is unfolding. Victims may apologize, minimize the situation, or appear responsible for the conflict. Meanwhile, perpetrators may appear calm, rational, or cooperative.
Those patterns are exactly what their foundation now works to help people understand.
They also encourage bystanders to trust their instincts when something feels wrong. In Gabby鈥檚 case, a witness who saw the couple arguing called 911 and attempted to intervene.
鈥淲e always say he tried to save Gabby that day,鈥 Schmidt said.
For the students in attendance, particularly those studying criminal justice, the evening offered an opportunity to examine a widely known case through a deeper lens.
As the event concluded, advocates from local organizations remained outside the auditorium to answer questions and connect attendees with resources.
A resounding sentiment throughout the evening was that Gabby鈥檚 voice will not be silenced. Her voice echoes in the growing movement to recognize and respond to the warning signs of abuse. Again and again, that message emerges through the stories of people whose lives have been changed by her story.
On the Gabby Petito Foundation website, a survivor named Lee shares how learning about Gabby helped her recognize the danger in her own relationship and find the strength to leave.
鈥淕abby鈥檚 story saved my life. Because of her, I knew what strangulation meant. I knew how serious it was. And now, I鈥檓 taking my second chance and using it to help other people leave鈥nd if you think this can鈥檛 happen to you, I thought that too.鈥
Her legacy lives on through the voices of survivors who feel seen and empowered to speak up, through the awareness her story continues to inspire, and through lives strengthened by prevention, advocacy, and support.
Domestic violence does not always announce itself. Recognizing the warning signs can save lives.
The UAF Department of Justice prepares students for careers in criminal justice, law, and public service while fostering research and community engagement around issues of justice and social well-being. Through coursework, internships, and public events, the department explores topics such as restorative justice, victim advocacy, public safety and legal systems, helping students understand the complex social dynamics that shape justice in Alaska and beyond.
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