Hi AnitaL,
I'm sorry that happened. It is good to see that you are focused on keeping yourself and your kids safe.
While on this board we can help you work through what you do around your H's behaviors, the legal board is more likely to help you figure out how to stay safe, document what you may need to, and consider any legal options. You may want to re-post your question over there.
In the meantime, you did well in finding a way to get out of your H's way so that he will leave you and your kids alone. As long as he is still angry or you think he could be triggered easily, I would generally avoid telling him what you are going to do (e.g., will have to call the police). The lessons are excellent, but once he is dysregulated there is only so much you can do to help him until he finds a way to calm down.
As to communication options, it sounds like you may not have a landline that you could use if he still has your cell phone. If you need a backup for making phone calls, a couple options include:
Google Voice: If you have a Gmail account (or get a free one), set up a Google Voice account at
www.google.com/voice . Then, from a computer or laptop, you can make free calls to US numbers from within the Gmail chat thing that's at the left of the screen. I think you will need to install a little piece of software first, but if I recall correctly, the link to download it is pretty obvious.
Skype: With a free account you can make outgoing calls to toll-free numbers. To make calls to other numbers you either have to add some credit into your account and let it deduct per-minute fees or buy a subscription. In addition to the Skype program on computers, the Skype app is easy to download to smartphones, iPads, or other tablets. Just keep in mind that without headphones, many of these devices can only act as speakerphones.
Stay safe, and let us know how you're doing.
