State Lawmaker Helps Domestic Violence Victim

DENVER (CBS4)- It's a place where important issues are debated and laws are created- the state Capitol. But one day a state lawmaker reached out to help a victim of domestic violence who literally had no where else to go.

It was the final days of the legislative session and lawmakers were working late, trying to push through the last bills.

That's when a woman walked into the state Capitol. She was battered, afraid and desperate for help.

"She was a domestic violence victim and she had a list of shelters she'd tried all of them and they were all full," said Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence lobbyist Annemarie Jensen.

A group of lobbyists saw the woman and when they learned of her plight they called Jensen.

"We were able to find her shelter in Arvada. We thought we could figure out a way to get her a ride there but we were all working and none of us could leave so we pooled our money to get a cab," said Jensen.

That's when Rep. Daniel Kagan, a Democrat representing Greenwood Village, stopped to see what all the commotion was about.

"So I said, 'Well, I'm leaving if you'd like to get a ride,'" said Kagan.

"It warmed my heart especially at a time when people have been ugly to each other in the last few days of the session that he volunteered to do this. It was way out of his way," said Jensen.

The shelter arranged to pick up the woman at the police department. She waited two hours for Kagan and Kagan waited with her at the police station.

"She was just wonderful, brave, courageous woman. It was a privilege to spend an hour or two with her as we sorted her out," said Kagan. "And I don't think I'm in any way unusual in that."

"He clearly has a place in his heart for victims and showed that by his willingness to spend time with a person in crisis and not only that but to believe it benefited him," said Jensen.

Kagan was actually chauffeured to the police station because he let the woman drive his car.