JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds of people gathered in Atlantic Beach Saturday night for a candlelight vigil to remember the life of a fallen Jacksonville Sheriff's Office corrections officer.
Brad McNew, a 24-year veteran with JSO, was shot and killed off-duty while trying to intervene in a domestic dispute at a truck stop on Jacksonville's Northside early Saturday.
McNew's impact on his community could be felt at Jack Russell Park, where the vigil was taking place. People shared story after story about who McNew was.
A man from McNew's church said you could tell a lot about what someone cares about by what they talk about, and with McNew, it was always three things: His family, his job and his faith.
Rick Contreras felt compelled to share about his time with McNew after spending four years volunteering with him for the Fletcher High School Band.
“I wanted the band family to understand that they meant something to Brad, and that Brad meant something to the band family,” said Contreras.
Contreras said McNew was always the first to volunteer to chaperone and always stayed the latest cleaning up, and there was one spot you couldn’t take McNew away from during football games.
“He wanted to be on the grill and he wanted to flip burgers,” said Contreras.
McNew’s son, Liam McNew, pointed out that his father took that helpful nature to the very end, when he was killed while off duty trying to intervene in a domestic dispute.
“I know he didn’t have any regrets when he helped that woman who was being abused,” said Liam.
McNew's death after 24 years with the agency is the second hardship his son and wife, Elda, have had to endure in just over four years. His daughter, Elizabeth, was the first child to die from Covid-19 in Duval County.
“I do take solace in knowing that Brad is being Elizabeth's daddy now and that they're smiling in heaven,” said Ellen Glasser, the former mayor of the City of Atlantic Beach.
Atlantic Beach Mayor Curtis Ford was moved to see such a large gathering to honor the fallen officer.
“For me, his legacy will be that he brought Atlantic Beach citizens together and he left something powerful that many cities don’t have, and that is selfless service to the community,” Ford said.
Contreras always knew the impact McNew had on the Fletcher band, but now he can see the impact he had on so many lives.
“I appreciate Brad and everything he’s done for us. Now ‘us’ as a whole, as I can see,” Contreras said.
One of the speakers mentioned the family will get a lot of support in the immediate future, but it’ll be important to make sure people are still thinking of them as they get further and further away from this tragedy.
A nationwide Be On The Lookout alert has been pushed out in search of the man who shot and killed McNew. The suspect was seen heading north on U.S. 17 potentially toward Nassau County. The man is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500, email JSOCRIMETIPS@Jaxsheriff.org or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.