MIAMI.– A woman picking up her nine-year-old daughter from school was arrested using force on October 7, in Jacksonville, Florida, after an officer confronted her about a traffic violation.
The incident, captured on video, sparked national outrage and put the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s tactics under fire as the altercation quickly escalated into a parking dispute.
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Erika McGriff, 39, faces three felony charges after her arrest outside IDEA Bassett Charter School.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, McGriff had parked her vehicle illegally and violently resisted when Deputy Randy Holton attempted to stop her. Sheriff TK Waters defended the officer’s actions, saying McGriff hit and bit the deputy.
For their part, McGriff and his lawyers, civil rights defenders Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, maintain that the use of force was excessive and unjustified.
In a video of the incident, Officer Holton is seen punching McGriff, throwing her to the ground, putting her in a chokehold and pulling her hair, as she repeatedly screams that she can’t breathe.
“All I was trying to do was get my daughter out of school without her getting wet in the rain,” McGriff said.
Accusations of excessive force
Attorney Crump called the arrest a “clear example” of excessive force and said these types of tactics should be reserved for dangerous criminals, not a mother who commits a traffic violation.
McGriff’s legal counsel argued that this incident fits into a broader pattern of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office using disproportionate force against citizens for minor infractions.
As an example, they cited the case of William McNeil Jr., a college student who was beaten by Jacksonville officers during a traffic stop in February 2025.
Application of the “HALO Law”
The case has gained greater relevance as it is the first time Florida’s “HALO Law,” which went into effect in January, has been applied in Jacksonville.
The legislation establishes a 25-foot buffer zone around first responders, including police.
Two women, Anita Gibson and Jasmine Jefferson, who witnessed McGriff’s arrest, were arrested days later and charged under this new legislation for allegedly getting too close to the officer.
Attorneys Crump and Daniels challenged the constitutionality of the HALO Act, arguing that it can be used to intimidate witnesses and violate the First Amendment rights of citizens to observe and record police actions.
Meanwhile, the mother faces charges that could land her in prison, while the debate over police action continues to intensify.
