PUEBLO, Colo. – Every nine seconds across America, a woman is beaten.  And each day, on average, three women and one man are murdered by their domestic partner.

Law enforcement is swept into the bloodshed. Nearly half of all police calls in the U.S. are in response to domestic disputes. They’re the most unpredictable and volatile moments of an officer’s day.

“The victim can become the suspect and vice versa,” said Sheriff Kieran Donahue of the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office in Idaho. “Officers have been attacked by victims and the children. They’ve been killed when approaching the house. The most common call happens to be the most dangerous.” 

One such call in the western part of the county continues to haunt Sheriff Donahue, and highly decorated Detective Doug Gately to this day.

In June 2015, Erasmo Diaz, shot and killed his wife Amparo Godinez in the couple’s home in front of two of their children. Diaz fled and has yet to be captured.

Det. Gately, a 15-year veteran of the department, has doggedly pursued Diaz since that horrible night. More importantly, he’s been a constant presence for the shaken family, visiting and keeping them informed, listening to their frustrations and quelling their fears. 

The case has been heartbreaking for Gately. Experiencing the family’s anguish makes him work harder, revisiting the crime every day, pursuing every lead, leaving no stone unturned, and reporting on his progress.

“The victims need to know they’re not forgotten,” he said.

Across his domestic violence cases, Gately takes phone calls any time of day or night. He’ll explain the judicial process and help find resources for the surviving children to get assistance. Even if there are no immediate answers, just being a sounding board for shattered families following unthinkable tragedy means a lot to them.

“I like to help people to get resolution and closure,” Gately said. “When someone commits a crime and tries to get away, I like putting an end to that and making them go through the legal process to ensure justice is served.”

Detective Gately, who is also assigned to the U.S. Marshals Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force, has been involved in patrol and SWAT duties. His focus on the execution of high-risk warrant arrests puts him directly in harm’s way.

Once, a fugitive high on drugs who had threatened to shoot police ambushed Gately and other officers. An officer next to Gately took a round in the face. Gately helped get the officer to safety (he recovered) and then assisted in holding the perimeter until SWAT arrived and brought the situation to a close.  

PBR will honor Det. Gately for his valor, bravery and service as the Celebrate America hero at the DeWalt Guaranteed Tough Invitational, presented by Ariat, on Saturday night at Ford Idaho Center.  

“Doug is a cop’s cop,” said Sheriff Donahue who had worked undercover with the quiet Boise native. “We are all Type-A personalities; you have to be in this job. But Doug is very humble, without a whiff of arrogance.

“He never, ever gives up. He is tenacious and relentless. If there’s a fugitive or sexual predator out there, Doug is not going to stop until we get the bad guy off the street.”

Of the 200 sworn officers Donahue oversees, Gately is one of the most unique, he says.

“We’re like the bull riders, all adrenaline guys. Doug is a little different. He may be very reserved, but with an emotional side he expresses with crime victims. No one cares more about the people we are helping.”

Five years ago, Donahue was troubled by the epidemic of domestic violence he witnessed first-hand on the streets. He teamed up with his wife, Jeanie, to create the “MAN UP Crusade,” a public awareness campaign tackling domestic violence. The program, which stands for “Making Awareness Now Using Purple,” is now endorsed by the National Sheriff’s Association.

In 2015, Donahue turned to the rugged and respected cowboys at PBR to get the word out.

On Saturday, the riders returning to Nampa will wear purple bandanas and MAN UP Crusade stickers. The PBR’s Official Entertainer, Flint Rasmussen, will be decked out in purple. All fans, stock contractors and support staff attending the DeWalt Guaranteed Tough Invitational are also encouraged to wear purple in a show of solidarity.

“When these tough men riding bulls take time to say this is an issue we need to address, it can help change behaviors,” Sheriff Donahue said. “The bull riders can become real heroes in this fight.”

Part of the awareness effort is to show men are victims as well. In fact, more men (one in seven) are affected by domestic violence than women impacted by breast cancer.

If Susan G. Komen had the courage to shout from rooftops about breast cancer so can police officers and cowboys be a megaphone about domestic violence, the Sheriff reasons.  

“A family facing a domestic violence tragedy may ask, ‘Why did this happen?’” he said. “There’s really no answer except domestic violence occurs, all too often. The victims never go away. The faces never go away. The horrible images stay in your mind. And that’s why law enforcement officers resolve to set it right and why we’re calling attention to this terrible problem this weekend.”

To help fight domestic violence, visit ManUpCrusade.com