Some experts say the Gabby Petito case could be a teachable moment for police across the nation on how to respond to cases that may involve domestic violence.
Utah police body camera video from Aug. 12 that shows Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie after an argument has been scrutinized by law enforcement and the public.
Rose Davis, Petito's best friend in Florida, told News 12 that Laundrie could be "controlling."
Jeff Reynolds is with the Family and Children's Association, a social services organization for vulnerable children and families. He posted on Instagram that the police response "speaks volumes about how much work still needs to be done to train law enforcement personnel."
“This incident was written up as a mental health episode, not as a domestic violence case,” Reynolds says.
A newly obtained police statement from one of the witnesses to the fight said, "... from my point of view, something definitely didn't seem right.”
However, no charges were filed in the incident and Laundrie was taken to a hotel.
Reynolds points to the interactions between Laundrie and the male officer seen in the video.
“The fact that he got the ride, the fact that he got the fist bump…that may speak to the need for more training,” he says. “I think it needs to be top of line in terms of the ongoing training, and quite frankly, exposure to victims on an ongoing basis might help the sensitivity on these issues.”
On Long Island, Nassau police receive 14 hours of domestic violence training in the academy and retrain every few years.
Both the Nassau and Suffolk police departments say they have a "strong pro-arrest policy for domestic violence incidents" and that all incidents are recorded on a New York State Domestic Incident Report.
A few years ago, the Suffolk County Legislature also added another layer of protection for domestic violence victims, requiring police officers who respond to incidents to give victims a "risk assessment.”
“Victims who complete the questionnaire not only have a more accurate understanding of how grave the danger is to them of being hurt again, but they're also more likely to seek help,” says Legislator Kara Hahn, who crafted the law. “It's important that victims know their true risk.”