..."They had to carry them past Momma and Dad at the bottom of the stairs, but they covered their heads. We got them out of there without seeing anything"...911 Call Released In Murder-Suicide
ClickOnDetroit.com
February 9, 2007
Brownstown Township police are investigating a shooting that left a Detroit police officer and his estranged wife dead. It happened Thursday around 7:13 p.m. Detroit police officer Brian R. Vieau, 38, was found dead on the living room floor and the body of his estranged wife, Tracy L. Vieau, 40, was found dead against the front door of the residence, according to police. Brian Vieau, who was apparently distraught over their impending divorce, was at his residence waiting for his wife to pickup their two children so he could go to work, according to police. According to Chief of Police Daniel J. Grant, once she entered the residence, he fired four shots at her with a .40 caliber pistol striking her three times when she collapsed at the front door. He then made a 911 call to police and prior to their arrival he turned the gun on himself. The couple had two children, ages 3 and 6. The children were home at the time. They were upstairs and unharmed. They are now living with relatives. Police said a suicide note was found in the home on Red Cedar Court. [Source]
Officer allegedly kills wife, self in Brownstown
Monroenews.com
February 09. 2007
...His estranged wife, Tracy Vieau, 40, who apparently was from the Gibraltar area, was found against the door of the home on Red Cedar Dr... Officer Vieau was found in his police uniform lying on the living room floor. His .40-caliber service pistol, which he used in the shooting, was lying at his feet. The couple's two boys, ages 6 and 3, were unharmed when police found them upstairs. They apparently did not witness the shooting. Chief Grant said the couple had been married about 13 years and were in the process of a divorce. She had moved out of the two-story home near Gibraltar Rd. and I-75 several months ago... Ms. Vieau arrived at the home to pick up the boys so Officer Vieau could go to work. Chief Grant said the officer used his service weapon and fired four times, striking Ms. Vieau once in the back and twice in the chest. He then called 911 to report a domestic incident in progress with shots fired... Brownstown Township Clerk Sherry Berecz-Burton said local authorities were stunned by news of the shooting... "It's terrible," Mrs. Berecz-Burton said... [Full article here]
Police: Officer kills wife, self in home with kids upstairs
MLive.com, MI
2/9/2007, 1:46 p.m. ET
...The boys of Brian and Tracy Vieau were in an upstairs bedroom, watching cartoons and did not witness the shootings or the aftermath, Brownstown Township Police Chief Daniel Grant told The Detroit News. The oldest boy is 6. "Officers went up and found them with the door closed," Grant said. "They had to carry them past Momma and Dad at the bottom of the stairs, but they covered their heads. We got them out of there without seeing anything"... Tracy Vieau had moved out of the couple's home about 15 miles southwest of Detroit, but brought their two sons to the house each evening because Brian Vieau worked nights... Brian Vieau typed a suicide note on a home computer and left the document on the screen. In it, he described his unhappiness with the breakup of his marriage... [Full article here]
A FEW SELECT COMMENTS FROM THE BLOG, HOME SWEET HOME
ReplyDeleteBLOG POST: During Visitation
February 10th, 2007 at 6:43 pm (Domestic Violence)
...I always have difficulty writing one about police officers. I have a lot of respect for law enforcement and the job they do. So when a person who is charged with the duty to serve and protect, becomes the perpetrator I find that difficult...
http://homesweethome.wordpress.com/2007/02/10/during-visitation/
3 COMMENTS FROM BLOG:
Flora Mukavec said,
February 12, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Brian and Tracy were friends of ours. Brian even stood up in our wedding. My husband was his partner for two years. They spent 40-60 hours a week together. Tracy was a beautiful person, kind, loving, and fun. Brian was the same. We are so sad and sick over what happened. Whenever one hears about these things, we often think the husband was a jerk (or worse). I think this is why it’s so difficult for those of us that knew them to reconcile the tragedy. We think that he crawled into a hole that he could not see any light from. While I IN NO WAY, condone or want to imply that he had an excuse, we cannot figure out how he could have acted in this way. It wasn’t in his nature. Really. As a parent, I cannot even fathom how the love for his children could not help him get through this tough time. Today, my 2 yr. old tripped and hit her head. As I was comforting her, I thought about Tracy never being able to hold her sons again, whether they are in pain or happy. I became almost violently ill. By the way, she also has another child from a previous marriage, so there are 3 children that have lost their mother. the only answer that I can think of is something went wrong in Brian’s head. We saw him a couple of weeks before and he told us that he was trying to move on. Sadly, he couldn’t. Tragically, he wouldn’t allow anyone else to either.
sharon james said,
[Sharon's blog: http://www.agirlrunning.blogspot.com/]
February 15, 2007 at 7:49 am
My father is a police officer - a sargeant. He beat mother for many years. Very brutally, including whilst she was pregnant. He also bullied my step mother, my brothers and my sister. He used prisoners to do work around his home so he didn’t have to, he used police cars and government money to run his own errands and he even pretended a prisoner needed to be institutionalised so the government would fund the 20 hour drive he needed to check up on some personal property business.
When I became a teenager he used to beat me regularly and violently.
Everyone in our town knew about it but as he was the police officer in charge of the town nobody knew how to help me. he is still a police sargeant - in charge of another town with his third family who I hear are not happy.
I spent many years living in fear that my father would kill me until he kicked me out of home at 16. At 15 he smirked when he caught me trying to commit suicide and laughed telling me ‘just do it and get it over with”
I am now a 35 year old respectable parent - still in therapy because of the way he treated me.
It makes me so cross when people feel sad about so called wonderful and respectful Officers of the law. My father ruined mine and other peoples lives because he used his title to intimidate and bully people yet he has been hailed as a hero because he was once shot whilst on duty by a young girl.
Not all police officers are heros
Flora Mukavec said,
February 16, 2007 at 3:55 pm
George, I don’t know if this is too late but…
VIEAU, TRACY LYN; of Brownstown; February 8, 2007; age 40. Beloved daughter of Ingrid and the late Wallace Leeper; loving mother of Mitchell Mierzejewski, Michael and Mason Vieau; dear sister of Eric Johnson, Mark and Scott Leeper; aunt of many nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Kernan Funeral Services, 1020 Fort St., Lincoln Park, MI, 313-381-2345.
Marti Henry said,
February 20, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Thank you, Flora, for posting Tracy’s obituary. Tracy was my husband’s cousin. He flew out to Michigan from New Hampshire to be with Tracy’s mother and brothers during the difficult time after her murder. Taking care of her affairs in the limited time they were there, and I’m sure dealing with the unspeakable grief they were feeling, they did not have a service there in Michigan for all those people in Michigan whose lives she had touched. As far as I’m aware, not even an obituary was published. They are planning a graveside service, tentatively on July 13, at Spring Grove Cemetery, in East Liverpool, Ohio, where Tracy will be interred next to her father and grandparents.
Scott Leeper said,
February 26, 2007 at 11:01 am
I greatly appreciate the kind words said about my sister Tracy. We keep expecting her to walk in the front door. The support from family and friends has been overwhelming, and I thank you all.
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BLOG ITEM CITING VIEAU DV MURDER-SUICIDE: A Plea to The Fraternal Order of Police
Tags: System Murder Police Badge Legal Unions Unions Blue Blue Wall Wall
Moving Out Moving On
February 10. 2007
...There are many ways to be effective and assist officers and families. Experts who can assist in providing real change and save lives. A good place to start is within the Fraternal Order of Police, they have the power to be agents of change...
http://movingoutmovingon.bloghi.com/2007/02/10/a-plea-to-the-fraternal-order-of-police.html
COMMENT AFTER BLOG ENTRY:
It would be nice if the FOP addressed with issue but they probably won't. As the wife of a Lt in NY I am so very scared about him killing me. I won't leave for this very reason. I pray Ms. Milano you remain safe.
Comment by DOFR— 2007/02/11