Moe Petway, president of the Spotsylvania County branch of the NAACP, brought together neighboring Stafford County and Fredericksburg chapters of the civil rights organization on Saturday to seek more details about the alleged racist attack on Amylah Majors and Jamaria Gaskins last month.
Petway presented the efforts the Spotsylvania NAACP chapter intends to pursue during a gathering of faith and community leaders at Mount Zion Baptist Church on Harrison Road. This came in the wake of two Black women being allegedly accosted by two white men and and one white woman off Partlow Road in Spotsylvania on July 20. Majors and Gaskins described the incident and injuries they sustained from it on a GoFundMe site, and many in the community think the attack was racially motivated.
Addressing a group of roughly 50 people, Petway referenced an Aug. 1 story published in the Fredericksburg Free Press about the alleged racially-fueled attack.
On Monday, the Spotsylvania NAACP will deliver a letter to the Spotsylvania Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, outlining some of the community members’ concerns.
“So far, from the details released, there was a gun involved, many racial slurs were said, and the two girls were allegedly chased until they wrecked their vehicle, leading to serious injuries,” Petway said.
Petway said the Spotsylvania NAACP chapter will continue to seek more information about this incident in hopes more charges will be filed.
Spotsylvania Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan Mehaffey said the incident is still under investigation and that sheriff’s department investigators are thoroughly examining the evidence.
“I take my job seriously and am committed to serving the community in a professional, fair manner,” Mehaffey said. “All charges remain on the table, including a hate crime charge.”
The Free Press placed open records requests seeking all 911 calls made during the incident and a report on the car crash, but a spokesperson for the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office said recordings and the accident report will be withheld while the investigation is still active.
To date, prosecutors have only filed misdemeanor charges. Elizabeth Wolfrey, 32, is facing a charge of pointing and brandishing a firearm and Mark Goodman, 59, is charged with indecent exposure after he was recorded exposing his buttocks to Majors and Gaskins. The second man on the recording was not charged with a crime. Wolfrey and Goodman are scheduled to appear in Spotsylvania General District Court on Nov. 20.
“Their charges are too low. We are seeking that the Spotsylvania Commonwealth’s Attorney conduct further investigation of this matter. Currently, this fits the description of a hate crime,” Petway said. “We are also urging the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors to put out a statement on this situation. Racism just won’t be tolerated.”
Fredericksburg NAACP chapter President Charlyne Jackson-Fields and Vice President Sabrina Johnson also expressed their concerns about the attack. Said Jackson-Fields: “I came to the meeting for answers and wanted to know the approach that would be used to bring further awareness to this matter.”
Jackson-Fields described the meeting as “very informative,” and said that it appears this group is receiving support from community members who want to know more about the incident.
“This ain’t the only event like this going on; a lot more has been reported in the area,” Jackson-Fields added.
In another viral Spotsylvania incident, Randolph Richards, 62, of Orange County was charged Friday with reckless driving and using abusive language after he was recorded swearing at a Black woman and using a racial epithet to describe her during a July 23 incident on Plank Road (State Route 3). The narrative on the video also alleged Richards threatened to shoot the woman. Maj. Delbert Myrick of the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office released a statement that the incident does not meet the legal criteria of a hate crime. Still, Myrick said the sheriff’s office is troubled by the incidents and that “hate, racism and the use of racial slurs will not be tolerated in our community.” He later added that in his viewpoint, Spotsylvania is a “safe and diverse county.”
“When it happens to one, it happens to us all,” Johnson said.
Johnson also touched on how advocating for victims impacts their chances of receiving justice.
“Community mobilization is one of the strongest advocacy tools the NAACP and the community have,” Johnson said. “Today was balanced well and passionate. We are hopeful for a good outcome when it comes to racial justice.”
