Jacksonville mother Erika McGriff speaks out after viral arrest at a charter school, claiming excessive force by police

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For the first time, the Jacksonville mother seen in a viral arrest video outside a Northside charter school is speaking publicly — alongside two women arrested as bystanders under Florida’s new “HALO” law.

Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels held a press conference Tuesday, calling on the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to drop all charges and review what they describe as “excessive force” by officers.

During the emotional press conference, family members of Erika McGriff spoke about the moment she was taken to the ground by police.

“You can not imagine what it will do to a mother to see your child being dough into the ground, punched, beaten by a man.” said a McGriff family member

McGriff, 39, was arrested last week while picking up her 9-year-old daughter outside IDEA Charter School on Jacksonville’s Northside.

“All I was trying to do is get my daughter out of school. That’s all,” said McGriff. “Everything that happened—that was just uncalled for and is not fair.” said McGriff

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters defends officers’ actions, saying that the officer involved followed policy and that McGriff resisted.

“It’s shocking to me that you square up to fight a police officer… maybe then you’re gonna get a citation and go to jail because it’s a third-degree felony,” said Sheriff T.K Waters.

McGriff faces three felony charges, including battery on a law enforcement officer.

Two bystanders, Jasmine Jefferson and Anito Gibson, were also arrested under HALO law.

“This incident happened on a Tuesday. I was arrested on a Friday afternoon, internal affairs called me wanting a statement—that’s it. They arrested me right on the spot,” said Jefferson.

The women are accused of violating Florida’s HALO law, which creates a 25-foot buffer zone around first responders. Civil rights attorneys say the law is unconstitutional and silences people trying to record or speak out.

“We want good policing. We don’t want you to protect and serve everybody else and assault us. We just want equal justice under the law.”

McGriff’s attorneys say her arrest reflects a pattern of excessive force over minor traffic violations in Jacksonville.

JSO has not announced any new statements since the press conference.