In the early hours of Oct. 6, 1982, Eau Claire Police officer Robert Bolton responded to a domestic dispute call. A woman was seeking shelter at a local church from an abusive husband, who had come after her in a fit of rage.

As the 28-year-old Bolton tried to maintain control of the situation, the man pulled out a .357 Magnum and shot and killed the officer, making him the second police officer fatally wounded in Eau Claire history.

At the time of his death, Bolton was a non-traditional student at UW-Eau Claire.

With the help of Bolton’s family and the community, the area shelter for victims of domestic violence – which only had been in existence since 1976 and wasn’t officially declared a shelter – soon after became known as the Bolton Refuge House in honor of the fallen officer.

“It’s really been quite a very good place for those who fall victim to domestic violence,” said University Police Chief David Backstrom, who was Bolton’s commanding officer and friend at the time of his murder.

The Bolton House and numerous other organizations around the country recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness month.

“For 12 months out of the year we work very hard at providing services to the victims,” said Judi Moseley, Bolton public education coordinator, who took shelter herself at the home 10 years ago. October is a time when the house can establish connections with the community.

“It’s really to highlight that domestic violence occurs across the board,” Mosely said. “We’re here to say, ‘Yeah, it happens to bright, intelligent women all the time.'”

Domestic violence often isn’t considered a problem, said senior Cynthia Patterson, president of the Eau Claire chapter of the advocacy group Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment.

“It’s a crime that’s not considered a crime by most people,” Patterson said.

Much of the blame falls on the stereotypical gender roles carried out in society, she said. Often women will feel they deserve the abuse or will find some way to blame themselves.

“I think there’s a lot of victims out there that don’t realize there’s something wrong,” Patterson said.

A woman might see domestic violence portrayed on television, but not make the connection when her boyfriend or husband becomes violent, she said.

Backstrom said domestic violence calls probably are the most dramatic and tragic situations police officers face.

“You have to dedicate a lot of time so that when you leave the premises . everything is safe,” he said.

In 2000, 41 people were killed in domestic homicides in Wisconsin, according to the state Domestic Homicide Report. Of those people, 33 were murder victims, including 20 women, 9 men and 4 children. The report states that eight perpetrators committed suicide.

In the murders, 18 children under the age of 18 were orphaned.

A 2000 U.S. Department of Justice study found that nearly 25 percent of surveyed women and 1.5 percent of surveyed men said they were raped and/or physically assaulted by an intimate partner in the previous 12 months.

Solving the problem is more than going to a few classes or listening to a speech, Patterson said.

People need to realize that it’s a crime and societal problem, not a relationship problem, she said.

This year, the Bolton House has housed 71 people. In 2001, the facility sheltered 102 people and in 2000 it had 94. That number only counts the adult victims and does not include any children they might bring in, Moseley said. The average age for the mother is between 20 and 25.

The house has room for about six families, or around 18 people, Moseley said. But restrictions on maximum capacity don’t exist for the refuge.

“We try to never, ever turn people away because we don’t have space,” Moseley said of the house that bears the slain officer’s name. “We’d like to be empty all the time.”

The shooting death of Officer Bolton still is part of the community 20 years after it occurred, Moseley said.

People responded tremendously after Bolton’s death, Backstrom said. Fitting for a man Backstrom described as outgoing and personal – the kind of person who liked to make everyone smile.