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Jacksonville advocates join crime survivors' march on Washington – Jacksonville Today

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2 years ago

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Jacksonville advocates join crime survivors' march on Washington – Jacksonville Today


Jacksonville’s Feletta Smith and Beverly McClain are both survivors of violence who arose from the darkness to found support groups for other survivors.

Both will join more than 3,000 others, including others from Jacksonville, who have lost loved ones to violent crime, or been victims of it, at Tuesday’s Crime Survivors Speak March on Washington. The first by a national grassroots movement centering the needs of victims of crime, they seek to urge lawmakers to expand support for crime victims and their families and pass reforms to break cycles of crime.

Smith survived being shot 13 times on Feb. 29 of 2004, as Thomas Bevel killed her boyfriend Garrick Springfield and 13-year-old Phillip Sims in her home in the Brentwood area, police said. Bevel ultimately received two death sentences. And as she healed, Smith began Beyond the Bullet to cultivates a safe place for victims of gun violence, encourage them to take action, and celebrate the lives of those who were killed.

For her, meeting with other survivors of violence is a key reason to go to Washington.

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“We can talk about victims’ rights and just hear how we feel about gun violence as well,” Smith said just before leaving for the march. “I was chosen to go to the White House to speak about gun violence, so that will be very exciting for me.”

McClain will be there as well, 19 years after her son Andre was murdered. Devastated by his death, she started Families of Slain Children as a way to help other families in the same situation. Outside its headquarters on North Myrtle Avenue is a memorial wall commemorating almost 3,000 crime victims, with room for no more.

Now McClain wants to add her voice to the chorus asking lawmakers for change.

“The more, the better,” McClain says. “The more ears, the better. Our voices will be heard. We need to come together so we can learn to support each other more, and better.”

Feletta Smith (left), founder and president of Beyond the Bullet, and Beverly McClain, founder of Families of Slain Children, on Jan. 22, 2024. | Will Smith, Jacksonville Today

Many of the local crime victims and march participants left for Washington, D.C., early Sunday on a bus from Families of Slain Children’s North Myrtle Avenue office.

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The march was organized by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, a national network of more than 200,000 crime victims advocating for a justice system that prioritizes healing, prevention, and recovery, its organizers said.

The group says it’s helped get more than 100 criminal justice and public safety reforms passed in state legislatures. And the march comes on the 40th anniversary of the Victims of Crime Act, the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, and the 20th anniversary of the Crime Victims Rights Act.

Planned events include a march and rally with survivors at Union Square, and a Healing Festival on the National Mall. And several survivors and advocates, including Smith, will meet with congressional representatives and senators to discuss policy priorities, share personal stories and advocate for programs that address the root causes of crime.

McClain, who helps the families of those who died with grief counseling, food or just someone to talk to, she hopes someone listens to their pleas this week in Washington. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t think of her son “and other sons and daughters who I deal with.”

“It doesn’t get any better; it doesn’t get any easier,” McClain said. “There are too many.”

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And Smith, who said she is worried about how many young people are dying because they have access to high-powered guns at such an early age, also hopes they listen.

“We are telling our stories; we are voicing how we feel,” Smith said. “We are coming to heal. We want to have the right to heal, so we want to have someone listen to us and listen to our thoughts and our feelings. Put us at the table with the lawmakers and just let them know how we feel as survivors of these violent crimes.”



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Washington

In deep-red Washington County, a surge in Democratic candidates

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4 hours ago

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March 28, 2026

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In deep-red Washington County, a surge in Democratic candidates


Anger over a proposed immigration detention center in Williamsport and a gradual reduction in public participation at county commissioner meetings are cited as possible reasons for a surge in Democratic, and younger, candidates in Washington County.



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Washington

North Dakota National Guard heading to Washington duty

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16 hours ago

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March 27, 2026

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North Dakota National Guard heading to Washington duty


BISMARCK — About 60 North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers will be sent to help the District of Columbia National Guard under a joint task force starting in April.

Most soldiers are from the 131st Military Police Battalion, which is headquartered in Bismarck, according to a release.

The support will be given as part of the effort that began on Aug. 11, when several states activated members of their National Guard to support local and federal law enforcement in Washington under the President Donald Trump’s

executive order 14333,

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which declared a crime emergency in the nation’s capital.

The support is a federal mission under the command of the D.C. National Guard, which supports civilian agencies and local law enforcement to reduce crime and minimize property damage.

“Safeguarding the citizens, federal workers and elected leaders in our nation’s capital is a matter of national security, and we appreciate these Soldiers volunteering for this important mission,” said North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong in a release. “We know they will represent our state with the skill and professionalism that military leaders everywhere have come to expect from the North Dakota National Guard.”

The battalion is expected to be in Washington for about three months.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Washington

Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say

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3 days ago

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March 25, 2026

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Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say


Charging documents reveal the U.S. Park Police officer who was shot Monday in Southeast D.C. had arrested one of the suspects the day before and was following that suspect at the time.

The suspects are brothers, 22-year-old Asheile Foster and 21-year-old Darren Foster, of Southeast. They appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

Court documents state the Park Police officer who was shot had arrested Asheile Foster on Sunday on suspicion of dealing drugs. The officer said he followed Foster after he was released from jail on Monday and came to Park Police headquarters to get his personal belongings.

According to prosecutors, Foster told police he knew he was being followed by a white Tesla, and he confronted the officer on Queens Stroll Place SE, jumping out in front of the Tesla before the officer swerved around him.

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Then, dozens of gunshots went off, the officer told police. He said in charging documents he was shot in the shoulder as he kept driving several blocks to the intersection of Benning Road and Southern Avenue SE, where police found him. A helicopter then took him to a hospital. According to charging documents, the officer was treated and released the same night as the shooting.

A U.S. Park Police officer who was shot in Southeast D.C. on Monday is recovering from what authorities say was likely a targeted attack. Multiple law enforcement sources tell News4’s Mark Segraves that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday.

Photos in the charging documents show the brothers firing at the officer’s Tesla, according to prosecutors.

The shooting drew a massive police presence to the Southeast neighborhood near the D.C-Maryland border Monday night.

Shell casings littered the middle of the street. Police said they recovered two weapons: a Glock 9 with an extended magazine and an AR-15.

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Prosecutors said that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday. No one was injured in that shooting.

Darren Foster was located and stopped shortly after the shooting, D.C. police said. Asheile Foster was found on Tuesday.

The brothers were charged with assault on a federal officer, assault with intent to kill and weapons charges. They could face up to 60 years in prison if they’re convicted.

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