JACKSONVILLE, Fla.(WSVN)– A Florida woman who was violently arrested outside her daughter’s school is recounting her experience.
The incident happened outside of a school in Jacksonville, where police said 39-year-old Erika McGriff left her car running in an intersection.
“Everything that happened was just like uncalled for, and it’s not fair,” said McGriff.
Body-camera video captured an officer confronting her, and when McGriff refused to hand over her license, the situation turned physical.
“I need your license!” said the officer.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Said McGriff.
“You’re making this way more than it needs to be, walk,” said the officer.
“Please don’t grab me, please don’t grab me, please don’t grab me! I’m not pulling away from you! You got me [expletive] up! You going to punch me?!” yelled McGriff.
“Get on the ground,” said the officer.
“Ow! Ow!” yelled McGriff.
“Oh, you want to fight me?” said the officer.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said when his officer attempted to talk to McGriff, she escalated to physical violence.
“She violently resisted Officer Holton and eventually punched him repeatedly and bit him with such force that she left a bite impression on his forearm,” said Jacksonville Sheriff, T.K. Waters.
Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, who is now representing McGriff, called the arrest excessive and has urged the state attorney to drop the charges, which include battery and resisting with violence, both punishable by up to five years in prison.
“Regardless of what you think about how she should comply, when you look at that excessive force, it is not right,” said Crump
“Everything that happened was just like uncalled for, and it’s not fair,” said McGriff. “All I was trying to do was get my daughter out of the school, from out of school without getting wet, drenched in the rain.”
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the officer followed department policy.
“He followed the rules, he followed the law,” said Waters.
McGriff’s lawyers claim her arrest reflects a pattern of excessive force over minor traffic violations in Jacksonville.
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