JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump is back in Jacksonville, this time representing a local mother who was arrested outside her daughter’s school on October 7th.
That arrest was captured on body cam and cell phone video that showed the scuffle between Erika McGriff and a JSO officer.
“Is chivalry dead in Jacksonville? Or is it only dead in Jacksonville when it comes to Black women?” Crump said during a news conference on Tuesday.
McGriff was approached by the officer outside IDEA Bassett Charter School after she allegedly left her car parked in an intersection.
When the officer attempted to bring McGriff to his car, a fight between the two broke out.
McGriff was taken to the ground and repeatedly claimed she couldn’t breathe as the officer attempted to put her in cuffs.
McGriff’s attorneys claim the officer did nothing to de-escalate the situation and used excessive force.
The incident, they claim, is the latest in a string of excessive force cases involving Black motorists.
Crump and Harry Daniels are also representing William McNeil Jr, who was struck multiple times by officers after refusing to exit his car during a traffic stop in February.
“The type of force used on Erika McGriff, the chokeholds, the hair grabbing, the being punched with closed fists in the face, having a knee put on her neck, should be reserved for armed and dangerous criminals who are a threat to the public and our safety, but not for mothers who are double parked to go pick up their daughter from school so she won’t get rained on,” Crump said.
During a news conference on Friday, JSO claimed the officer was hit and bitten by McGriff during the struggle.
She’s been charged with battering a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, and driving with a suspended license.
Sheriff TK Waters addressed the incident and laid the blame on McGriff for fighting the officer and refusing to comply.
“He followed the rules. He followed the laws. It’s shocking to me that you square up to fight a police officer,” said Waters.
Sheriff Waters also pushed back on the idea that McGriff was placed in a chokehold.
“I’ll give you a test. Go home and let your wife choke you and try to talk,” Waters said. ”You can see, you can hear whether someone’s airway is being blocked, or you can’t talk. She could breathe.”
JSO declined to comment further on McGriff’s arrest, given the threat of future litigation.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
