Charlottesville Group Creates Mediator Network To De-escalate Violent Confrontations Police Chief RaShall Brackney highlighted the city's growing problem at a recent press conference. January 31, 2021 at 5:00 pm In an effort to combat the increase of violence in their community, a group of friends in Charlottesville, Virginia, have created a network of residents who are called to talk people down from potentially fatal situations. The network of neighbors responds to calls from witnesses who use a designated hotline to alert the mediators, as opposed to calling law enforcement. Nicholas Feggans, one of the founding members of Sit Downs Before Shootouts, said the tool also allows a person to seek help before making a life-altering mistake.