HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — An unthinkable tragedy led to an unlikely friendship, and now — a shared mission to prevent officer-perpetrated domestic violence.
Four years after Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Bieber was shot and killed by her boyfriend, Daniel Leyden — a fellow law enforcement officer — her father, Bruce Bieber, and a woman who survived abuse at the hands of the same man, Chynna Ratner, are now working together to prevent officer-perpetrated domestic violence.
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Abby was vacationing in St. Augustine with her boyfriend, a detective at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and two other couples when Leyden shot Abby three times before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide.
Ratner, who dated Leyden years before he became involved with Abby, said she feared a similar ending could have been her own.
"I realized at that time that, he's 100% using his power and badge to try to scare me, to manipulate me," Ratner told Tampa Bay 28 I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern in 2022, after she shared her history with Leyden on social media.
WATCH: Father of deputy killed in murder-suicide and abuse survivor unite to fight officer-perpetrated violence
"He grabbed the back of my head, pulled out his gun, put it to the side of my head, looked me right in the eyes, and told me that if I were to scream, run, or talk to anybody, that he would shoot my dogs in front of me, shoot me, and then kill himself," Ratner said.
An earlier incident was detailed in a report that the I-Team obtained from the sheriff's office.
"I told them that he was controlling, that he was trying to stop me from leaving, I told them that he was punching me car, I told them all of these things, that I didn't feel safe," Ratner said.
Deputies gave Ratner a victim's rights pamphlet. The incident was cleared as "unfounded" and was not included in Leyden's personnel file.
When asked to describe the partnership that has grown between them, Bieber reflected on the painful path and what they hope to accomplish together now.
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"It is a very unusual confluence of events that have brought us here together. But brought us together it did, and I think we are both committed to leveraging and squeezing all the juice out of that we can so that there isn't another Abby -- or another Chynna, for that matter," Bieber said.
Bieber and Ratner first presented together to California district attorneys earlier this year and then this month at the Conference on Crimes Against Women in Dallas, where they referenced a recent Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office news conference within their presentation.
The news conference address the fact that three employees were arrested for domestic violence within three days — two deputies and a cadet. The deputies remain on administrative leave without pay pending internal investigations, and the cadet was fired.
RELATED: 3 Hillsborough sheriff’s employees arrested in domestic violence cases
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Bieber and Ratner pointed to a portion of the news conference when Chief Deputy Frank Losat said, "We wish the victims would have reached out for help sooner. They wouldn't be in this position that they are in now."
Ratner was critical of that response.
"For them to just turn it around and put the victim blaming back on, just shows that they haven't -- they haven't even tried to train these people to show how harmful that is, that kind of language of, well, if they would have done that, instead of — we have an internal problem, here's how we're going to fix it. That clearly has not been addressed, just by those words alone," Ratner said.
Bieber urged the public to ask direct questions of their local law enforcement agencies.
"I would urge anybody who's interested to seek out their local law enforcement agency and ask them," Bieber said. "Do you specifically have a a practice, a procedure, a protocol and a policy on what happens if and when your deputies or officers respond to a domestic violence call and the perpetrator is a law enforcement officer? Because you understand and respect that the dynamics are very different when it's a law enforcement officer doing the crime of domestic violence or abuse and what do you do about that? What have you trained your people on?"
As Bruce and Chynna continue their mission, they carry Abby's memory with them.
The Bieber family is suing the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for negligence and wrongful death.
RELATED: Father of Hillsborough deputy killed in murder-suicide files lawsuit against sheriff
Last year, the I-Team requested an interview with Sheriff Chad Chronister to discuss Bieber's concerns, officer-involved domestic violence within the department and any changes to policy.
HCSO instead sent this statement:
"We continue to extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Bieber and his family as they navigate the profound grief of losing Abigail Bieber. Her tragic death is a loss continuously felt deeply across our office and community.
It is imperative to acknowledge that Daniel Leyden is the sole individual responsible for this senseless act. The pain and devastation he inflicted are immeasurable. As he is deceased, the avenues for legal justice are limited.
What is heartbreaking about this case is that no one saw it coming, not their coworkers, friends, or even their family. This underscores the profound violation and heartbreak this tragedy brings. If those closest to Leyden were unaware, it is only reasonable to understand why the Sheriff's Office was also unaware of the darkness within him.
Before this incident, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office had no documented reports or allegations of domestic violence involving Leyden and Bieber. HCSO could not have anticipated or intervened in this tragedy without such information.
Domestic violence is a grave concern that we do not tolerate, whether within our ranks or in the broader community. We urge anyone experiencing such abuse to seek help. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is available at 813-247-8200. Our partners at The Spring of Tampa Bay can also be reached at 813-247-7233."
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, resources are available. Please call the Florida Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-500-1119.
List of Domestic Violence Centers in Florida
Hillsborough County
The Spring of Tampa Bay
Phone: 813-247-5433
Hotline: 813-247-7233
TDD: 813-248-1050
Website: https://www.thespring.org/
Pinellas County
Community Action Stops Abuse
Also Known As: CASA
Phone: (727) 895-4912 (Ext. 100)
Hotline: (727) 895-4912 (Ext. 1)
TDD: (727) 828-1269
Website: https://www.casapinellas.org/
Chat: https://www.casapinellas.org/chat/
The Haven at Hope Villages of America
Phone: (727) 441-2029
24 Hour Crisis Hotline: (727) 442-4128
TYY: (727) 446-2448
Website: https://hopevillagesofamerica.org/
Pasco County
The Salvation Army Domestic Violence Program of West Pasco
Phone: (727) 856-6498
Hotline: (727) 856-5797
TDD: (727) 364-6132
Website: https://salvationarmyflorida.org/pasco-county/
Sunrise Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, Also Known As: Sunrise of Pasco
Phone: (352) 521-3358
Hotline: (352) 521-3120
TDD:
Website: https://www.sunrisepasco.org/
Polk County
Peace River Center Domestic Violence Shelter
Also Known As: Peace River
Phone: (863) 413-2708
Hotline: (863) 413-2700
TDD: (863) 413-2700
Website: https://www.peacerivercenter.org/
Manatee County
HOPE Family Services
Phone: 941-747-8499
Hotline: 941-755-6805
TDD: 941-755-6805
Website: https://www.hopefamilyservice.org/
Chat: http://www.hopefamilyservice.org/
Sarasota County
Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center
Also Known As: SPARCC
Phone: (941) 365-0208
Hotline: (941) 365-1976
TDD: (941) 365-1976
Website: https://www.sparcc.net/
Citrus County
Citrus County Abuse Shelter Association
Phone: 352-344-8112
Hotline: 352-344-8111
TDD: 352-344-8111
Website: https://casafl.org/
Hardee County
Peace River Center Domestic Violence Shelter
Phone: 863-413-2708
Hotline: 863-413-2700
TDD: 863-413-2700
Website: https://www.peacerivercenter.org/
Hernando County
Dawn Center of Hernando County
Phone: 352-684-7191
Hotline: 352-686-8430
TDD: 352-686-8430
Highlands County
Peace River Center Domestic Violence Shelter
Phone: 863-413-2708
Hotline: 863-413-2700
TDD: 863-413-2700
Website: https://www.peacerivercenter.org/
Share Your Story with Kylie
Kylie McGivern works tirelessly to get results for the people of Tampa Bay. Her reporting has exposed flaws in Florida’s corrections system and unemployment process. Reach out to Kylie and our I-Team if you need help holding state leaders accountable.
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