A day to reflect on domestic violence

April 26, 2003 is a date permanently stamped on the social conscience of Pierce County. It was on that day that David Brame, who was chief of Tacoma Police Department at the time, shot his wife Crystal and himself in the parking lot of a shopping center in Gig Harbor. The couple was going through a divorce. Crystal had made allegations of a pattern of physical and emotional abuse committed by her husband in documents submitted to the court. A few days prior, the media got its hands on this information and went public with it.

The scrutiny and strain of having the ugly details of his personal life set out for all to inspect was apparently too much for David. While driving with their two children in his car, he encountered Crystal driving her car. They pulled into the parking lot to talk; a few moments later David fired his gun. He was pronounced dead that afternoon. Crystal clung to life for a week before dying in a Seattle hospital.

The tragedy pushed the issue of domestic violence to the forefront of public discourse. Local governments, particularly the city of Tacoma and Pierce Country, were forced to take new approaches to dealing with this problem.

The shootings and the subsequent investigations led to many changes, including new policies for law enforcement agencies on addressing allegations of police officers committing domestic violence.

Another major development was the establishment of the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center (Judson was Crystal Brame’s maiden name). This facility in downtown Tacoma provides domestic violence victims a central location where they can reach out for help, getting referrals on everything from emergency housing to counseling to legal assistance. It receives a majority of its funding from the city and county.

Each year Pierce County Council and Tacoma City Council issue proclamations declaring April 26 as Domestic Violence Awareness Day. Area residents are asked to pause at noon that day and observe 26 seconds of silence to remember Crystal Judson and all the other victims of domestic violence and reflect upon the need to end this cycle of chaos. While Crystal Judson’s life and death is associated with this problem because of extensive media coverage, many of us know of a friend, neighbor or co-worker whose life has been torn apart, or even ended, because of domestic violence. April 26 is a day to remember all of them.

We received a reminder of the extent of the problem, and the financial strain it puts on local governments and non-profit agencies, during Tacoma City Council’s April 20 meeting.

A public hearing took place on allocations of city funds to non-profits that provide a variety of social services.

Miriam Barnett, executive director of YWCA of Pierce County, thanked the council for funding received for some of its programs. She lamented that her organization’s request for funding for legal services for women fleeing from abusive relationships was turned down.

She admitted YWCA staff made a mistake on an application involving its overall budget situation. YWCA was counting on a grant that turned out to be less money than anticipated, which is why the citizen group that makes recommendations to the council advised against funding this particular program.

Many homeless women are in that situation because they, and often their children, are fleeing domestic violence. Legal assistance can be crucial for transitioning into a stable life, particularly when custody of children is involved.

We encourage our readers to observe the 26 seconds of silence. If they wish to take further action, we encourage them to donate money to the YWCA of Pierce County, Crystal Judson Family Justice Center and other organizations working to eliminate the scourge of domestic violence.

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